


Peace Betrayed--Annihilation

by Acaciarose_Wyngate



Series: Battlestar Galactica: Times of Great Turmoil [4]
Category: Battlestar Galactica (1978), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, M/M, Sexual Harrassment, Swearing, Violence, emotional and mental distress, emotional collapse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-09-27 22:35:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20415415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acaciarose_Wyngate/pseuds/Acaciarose_Wyngate
Summary: The Peace that President Adar and the Council of Twelve so wanted is betrayed by one of their own.  At the Old Moon of Cimtar, where the conference is set to take place, the Cylons coordinated attack of the fleet and the Colonies begins.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Roark's arrival aboard the Galactica. A talk between Adama and Colonel Tigh.

They stepped down from the shuttle that had brought them all up from Caprica to the Battlestar Galactica, their new home for time being. Bright, excited silver and emerald green eyes looking around inquisitively, as neither of them had ever been aboard a Battlestar before. They came to a stop between their Uncle Zac and Kili, fairly vibrating with excitement to get to their new quarters, unpack, and start exploring. Their grandfather moved forward with a smile toward the two men who waited, both also with smiles.

"Adama, welcome back," a tall, probably around 6' 5, wiry of build, though rather well muscled looking, handsome man who had dark brown hair, hazel eyes and looked to be somewhere in his mid to late thirties said, lifting a hand to shake with his Commander.

"Thank you, Omega."

Feeling his brother's, his cousin's, and the few warriors that had come up with them move in around them, Roark turned his head to see the all barely containing their amusement as they watched his and Harry's reaction to the huge landing bay around them, some even chuckled quietly. Bumping his shoulder to Harry's, hearing the chuckles, made Harry turn. The two of them, unable to contain themselves, stuck out their tongues. 

Then they heard a throat being cleared.

Two midnight heads snapped back around to now see their grandfather standing there with Omega and a tall, not quite lean, just looking slightly overweight, muscular black man likely in his mid to late fifties or early sixties, amusement reflected in Omega's eyes. They heard the muffled snickers of the Durin brother's and cousin's at being caught at doing something so childish as sticking out their tongues.

"Tigh, these are our newest officers and pilots, Captain Hadrian Peverell Potter-Lestrange, or Harry, and Roark Durin Peverell Potter-Lestrange. Do forgive their childish action you just witnessed. It seems Roark finding out has a rather large family brother's, cousin's nephew's and niece's, has brought out a side of him none of us had any idea he possessed, and Harry has simply followed his brother in the antics they have been getting up too of late. Harry, Rory, I'm sure you remember the Galactica's second in command, Colonel Tigh?"

"Yes, Sir," he answered giving the man a sharp salute.

"As do I. Good morning to you, Colonel Tigh," he said, saluting him smartly.

"It's very good to see you again, Sir, though we were very sorry to hear that you couldn't attend our marriage-bonding ceremony."

"And I you, Captain Roark, and good morning to you as well, Harry," Tigh said with a smile of welcome to both young men, saluting them in return. "As far as your marriage-bonding ceremony, I, unfortunately had duty here that I could not get out of, though Adama has promised me a viewing of the video. Welcome aboard."

"Thank you, Sir."

"We're very pleased to be here."

Tigh had to chuckle as both of them looked around the landing bay again, their eyes wide, excited and he knew they simply could not wait to start exploring. As around and behind them, the Durin's were also chuckling. "Excited too, by the looks of it."

Roark turned around. "You lot hush," he ordered them before turning back, shaking his head at the round of laughter that followed his order. "Yes, Sir, definitely excited. We can't wait to get out quarter assignment, unpack and start exploring."

"We intend to take a nice long walk around the Galactica."

"Just don't go and get yourselves lost."

A sound from their grandfather. "Telling two boys who explored the warren of tunnels under Hogwarts not to get lost, is like telling them no pranks, and no placing bets on things they know they'll win."

Matching grins from the imps that were his grandsons. "Besides," Roark said, "we've heard form several sources," a look over his shoulder at some of those sources, namely Kili, Fili, Logan and Damien, before his gaze slid to a smirking Aiden, "that getting lost and finding your way back, is half the fun,"

Deep laughter followed that as Tigh threw an amused look at the warriors that surrounded Roark and Harry. "That is very true, Captain. Very true indeed."

"Omega," Adama turned to the tall Officer. "Roark is a very strong empath and telepath, as well as having more than a few other very strong psychic gifts. He's going to need quarters that are well shielded. You can place Harry in quarters adjoining the ones you give him."

"Understood, Commander," he said, stepping forward to salute Harry and Roark. "Senior Bridge Officer Omega, Captain Roark, Captain Hadrian. Welcome aboard to you both. If you'll follow me, we'll see what we can find the two of you."

"Just a moment, Omega," Ethan touched Logan's shoulder and he turned to the side to allow his brother to move past him. "I believe there are empty quarters across the hall from mine and Kili's and the quarters that adjoin them on the left are free."

Omega looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "I remember them, Captain Ethan, but I also remember that both those quarters are family quarters."

"Well then, as both Harry and Roark are newlyweds whose husbands were kept on Caprica for other duties, those quarters will suit for when Rodolphus and Rabastan DO join them."

A smile. "Well then, as that is the case, let's go have a look then, shall we?" he turned. "Commander? Colonel?"

"Dismissed gentlemen, ladies," then couldn't help the laugh at the sudden movement of their warrior as they bundled Roark and Harry out of the landing bay, laughing and joking with them. "Children," he said, then laughed all the harder when, as one, they all turned and stuck their tongues out at him."

Tigh could only chuckle himself at the antics of the Durin's. "They will never change, will they, Jacob?"

"No, Dominic, that they will not, nor would I want them too, as there will be far too much to be serious about soon enough."

A sigh. "All too true, my friend, all too true. Shall we head up to the bridge? There are a few things we need go over as the last three shuttles arrive."

"Yes. Oh! Roark and Thorin send you their best, and both recommended that you take VERY good care of their son, and nephew."

Tigh gave a deep laugh. "They really do need to stop that. They should know by now that their threats don't work on me."

"Oh, trust me, they know, but they still feel the need to issue them anyway. Just as Kendric and Raiden did when they were alive."

A shake of his graying head, dark brown eyes alight with amusement. "Durin's. May Kobol bless that they never change."

"Family first. Always."

"Indeed."

cccVccc

After they had finished dealing with all the problems that tended to pop up whenever they were preparing to leave. Once they had finally finished seeing to them, and their duty on the bridge ending for the night, Adama and Tigh retired to his quarters for something to eat and a drink. "They've grown into incredibly handsome young men, Jacob," Tigh said with a smile as his long time friend carried a glass of ambrosia to him. "We may have some trouble from some of the warriors. both once they have seen them, and once they've begun their duty rotation."

Roark is nineteen and Harry just turned twenty-four, Tigh, and they have both gotten very good at taking care of themselves and each other. Roark's met with opposition from his fellow warrior's because of his age before, and we're quite sure he will again. He did, after all," a smile, "start much sooner than any of them did, and has dome so much better for himself than any of us ever thought he would, or could have hoped. He'll handle it as he always has."

A dark brow shot up. "I noticed you ignored my first concern."

A shrug and an even wider smile. "I'm not ignoring it, my friend, it's just not going to be relevant. None of those men OR women who think to approach them, will have a chance, as they will all find out soon enough. Harry and Roark are very deeply, and very completely in love with their husbands."

"Ah...but those husbands aren't here, my friend, now are they, and we know how some will play when there's no chance of being caught?"

"Not Harry and Roark. In fact, it would never occur to either of them to cheat."

"As you say. I do however, offer you my full felicitation's on the bonding of your grandson's. Are the men someone that I know?"

A smirk. "Oh, I should think so if you would only think of the name attached to theirs now."

"The name attach--Lestrange?" then his dark eyes went very wide as the realization hit him full. "RODOLPHUS and RABASTAN LESTRANGE?! Two of the best Terminators ever known? The only two that managed to escape the platinum mine robbery several yahren ago?"

"The very same. Only it wasn't an escape. It turned out to be an extraction. It seems our Terminators are actually Lt. Colonel Rodolphus Lestrange and Major Rabastan Lestrange. They're Colonial Counter-Intelligence."

"Colonial Counter-Intel--How in the blazes did THAT happen?!"

Adama shrugged. "Truthfully, I've not a clue as the Lestrange's files were sealed by Roark, Thorin, Dacian, Gabriel and Raphael. None of them will discuss it. All they have said, and WILL say is that Rodolphus and Rabastan were two of their best undercover officer's since Severus Prince Snape. And their assignment was Tom Riddle."

Tigh shook his head. "Bad business, Ardyn going bad like that. I never would have expected it of him given he was such a good officer, a good man. What happened to him, Jacob?"

"Yes, he was, and as near as anyone can figure, he became hooked on pain meds, the stronger the better. The Base CMO on Aquaria refused to give him what HE felt he needed, so he went to someone who would."

"Tom Riddle."

A nod. "Yes."

"So Rodolphus and Rabastan were uncover agents. Why not just tell you what you want to know if the Riddle case is over."

Adama shrugged, finished his ambrosia, got up and went to the sideboard to pour another, holding up the decanter for Tigh, who swallowed the rest of his, then held out his glass. "You know them about as well as I do, and you know how they protect their undercover people. Look at the lengths they went too to protect Severus when his assignment ended all those yahren ago. All any of them are willing to say on the matter is that the Lestrange brothers have been undercover since a couple of yahrens after Riddle murdered James and Lily and tried to kill the boys."

Tigh shook his head. "THAT is a long time to be undercover. So they really were Terminators then?"

"Let's just say they did what they had too, and everyone who was involved with that case all agree that, even though Riddle is dead, it's far from over. None of his Inner Circle, his upper echelon was ever captured."

"Which would be why Rodolphus and Rabastan remained on Caprica instead of joining their new husbands here on the Galactica as they would have were circumstances normal."

"Possibly, though if you want the truth, I think their remaining on Caprica has nothing to do with the Riddle case as neither of them can work it openly."

"Because their covers were blown when they fell in love with other Counter-Intelligence Officers?"

"Exactly. All Roark and Thorin would say about Rodolphus and Rabastan was that they needed them there on Caprica for the time being."

"Do Harry and Roark know why?"

"Likely, but even if they did, they would never speak of it until they were told they could."

"Because what is Counter-Intelligence business stays within Counter-Intelligence."

"Exactly so. When they have something to report, some proof of whatever it is they're looking into, then, and ONLY then, will they be given clearance to speak of it, and we be told."

"So what was with adding Durin to Roark's name all about?" Wry amusement in his eyes. "And isn't that a bit of a mouthful?"

A chuckle. "It is and for the most part he intends to just go be Roark Lestrange. You'll only get the full name when he's being introduced for the first time or at official functions. As for Durin...It seems Roark is the long lost missing youngest son of Roark and that young lady he married on Leo. He was planning to bring them both home to Caprica as soon as the Solarian was replaces by the Acropolis."

"Only that never happened because the Cylons attacked Leo, his second in Command sent the Solarian against that Basestar as Roark himself was off duty that day and not aboard."

"Yes. As I'm sure you remember, Thorin took Dacian, Gabriel, Raphael, Sebastien, Aiden and Roark with him to Leo as soon as they had heard that Roark was critically injured and not expected to survive. As soon as he was awake enough to communicate, he begged them to find the woman he's wed and their infant son. They immediately began to search of course, only to discover that Selina had been killed in the attack and that her body, as well as her infant son, who had survived, had been claimed by the sister. Too say they were all devastated was mild. They were forced to return to Caprica without even having a chance to look for the boy.

"It was when Roark took that knife that the unimaginable happened. His bloodwork came back, and in it was an anomaly found only in the Durin bloodline. To be certain of what they were seeing, Severus and Sebastien ran the test twice more. There was no doubt. My grandson, Roark Christopher Peverell Potter was Roark Killian Durin's long lost missing son." He sat back in his chair with a deep sigh. "Did Omega end up giving Roark and Harry those quarters Ethan told him about?"

"He did with Dylan next tot Harry and Rohan next to Roark. Desmond is still next to Ethan and Fili will remain in the quarters beside his brother, with the rest of the Durins spread out up and down that corridor."

"That's good. Roark still needs a lot of training, and his shielding though good is also erratic at best."

Tigh frowned at that. "May I ask why?"

Adama sighed again. "Roark has ALL of the psychic gifts not seen in one single person since the old days of Kobol. At ten yahren, those gifts were blocked then placed under very strong seals to keep them contained because one of his gifts, the gift of premonition showed him something so horrific, it sent him into a catatonic state to escape it. The day he met Rodolphus every one of those seals shattered and those blocks began to come apart as well under the pressure of fully awakened gifts. His fear of returning to Saggitara mean that the Durin's Rodolphus, and Rabastan will have to train him. And before you ask, while Harry has a few gifts they are nothing on what Roark has shown. There is also the fact that his magic is slipping his control more than it should, and through him, Harry."

"WHAT? They've ALWAYS had incredible control of their magic. Rodolphus and Rabastan? What have they to so with Roark's psychic gifts?"

"Apparently they have a great deal to do with them, but I'll get to that in a bit. The problem we're facing right now is that Roark's shields are connected to his empathy, which, by the way they aren't supposed to be. He's not properly grounded, nor is he centered within himself. Ethan says once they get him grounded and centered, the shields will redistribute themselves accordingly, including the one connected to his empathy, and stop fluctuating so badly."

"So why all these problems? I would have thought that would have been the first thing that was taught on Saggitara."

"It is, but remember, Roark's gifts were locked and sealed shortly after he arrived there. They're working on it, but the real problem now is that Roark is dreaming, Tigh. So are Kili and Dylan. Kili's are almost as bad as Roark's, while for some reason Dylan's aren't. Roark's premonition is at full strength like his other gifts, and what he sees in those dreams is truly horrific, and in pieces...like a huge jigsaw puzzle that needs to be put together. The dreams are so bad that his waking mind simply can't, or won't, we aren't sure which at this point, face them. He never remembers the actual dream, only feelings, impressions. He remembers the feel of fire, feels the pain, the anger, the fear and fury, then finally he feels the death and the destruction."

"And as his shields are connected to his empathy, the feelings of what he sees in those dreams are magnified, preventing him from being properly grounded and centered as each time he dreams everything they had put up before comes apart under the pressure."

A nod. "That is the theory they're going on."

"So Rodolphus and Rabastan."

"Are direct descendants of the ancient aristocratic line of Lestrange on Kobol, and each have some of the same gifts as Roark, though both admit they don't have the premonition gift. Rodolphus is, however, completely emotionally, mentally and physically linked with Roark. He was the first one to find the wall around the memory of the dream. When he, Rabastan, Harry, Roark Sr., and several of Roark's brothers tried to bring the wall down, it sent Roark into a spiral of lost control, dragging Kili and Dylan with him. Only Rodolphus was able to isolate him and draw him out. As he did so, he aught bits of what the three were seeing. They realized it was more then one dream, but a series of them, each one progressively worse than the last."

"I see," a pause, a thoughtful look on his face. "So, what is it the final dream portends?"

"As Ethan and the others were dealing with Dylan and Kili, leaving Roark to Harry, Rodolphus and Rabastan, all any of them caught that were still connected with them got was one of total annihilation."

Tigh gave a gasp, horror on his face. "Of WHAT?" came his question.

"We don't know for sure. Once Rory and Kili were free of the premonition dream, they locked themselves down, and those walls went back up. Everyone agrees it's their minds way to defending them against the horror of what they see happening. Roark was unconscious for three days."

"You suspect something."

"What I suspect is something not bearing thinking about."

Tigh drew in a deep breath. "You all think it's the Colonies."

"We have no proof, and with no proof, there is nothing we can do."

A/N Well, there we go, the first chapter of Part 3. I just couldn't resist. Let me know what you think.

Acaciarose


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Roark first patrol. Another dream of death and destruction wakes Roark.

Over the next few days, Harry and Roark disappeared to explore the Galactica from top to bottom, starboard to port, managing to loose themselves in the warren of corridors, finding their way out laughing and talking about the rooms they'd been in, running into people, asking question about what it was they did. On the fourth morning, when they checked the board where orders were listed, they found their names finally listed, paired with Fili and Kili for their first patrol. Excitedly returning to their quarters for their helmets, the headed for the launch bay to meet Roark's cousins.

"Even though our flight crews do a great job keeping our vipers in shape," Fili began as he led them to the four vipers waiting, "Always give it a look over. Make sure you have a full fuel level, make sure your lasers are in good order, and especially check your landing gear. Of course, during battle situations, we don't have time for that, so we trust our crews."

"What do we do if we see something wrong?"

"You find the Crew Chief and let him know. He'll get you another Viper." Kili told them. "I'm good, Fi."

"As am I," came Fili's answer. "Harry? Roark?"

"I'm good," Harry answered as he climbed the steps up to the cock pit, sliding into the seat and pulling his helmet on.

"I'm good too," Roark answered, as he too climbed the folding metal steps. Once in his viper, he, like the other three began their pre flight checks. Once those were complete, the cock pit hood with it's three panel space proof windows sealed them in and they taxied into the launch tubes.

"Bridge, this is patrol 3, ready for clearance to launch."

"We read you, patrol 3. You are cleared to launch. Safe patrol, boys."

cccVccc

"Oh my GODS," he breathed, his head turning one way then another as he looked around him. "It's been so long since I've been out here in a viper, I'd forgotten just how beautiful it was."

"It's certainly nothing like flying in simulation, is it?" came Harry's question, as he too was looking around him at the vastness of space, the so many stars shining around them, flying up beside his brother.

"Not by a long shot, Harry. God's, no WONDER Rodolphus says the next best thing to sex, is flying."

"Rabastan says the same thing," Harry spoke up. "Though he ALSO says, sex with me is no match with anything."

Just then, the sound of laughter reverberated in their ears from a source other than each other and FIli and Kili, and looking down they both saw the green light on their com panel's still lit, telling them they were still on open com, and that those on the bridge listening in could still hear them. Roark flushed, saying, "Gee guys, thanks ever so much for telling us we were still on open coms," he reached out to flip the switch to closed.

"Um...oops. Sorry 'bout that, we kind of forgot about that."

"Uh ha," came from Harry as he too reached out to flip the switch to closed. "Let's not forget that old saying, Fi, Ki."

"What saying would that be?" came from Kili guardedly.

"Paybacks are a bitch, and none of you call us Imps for no reason." Harry said. 

"And when you least expect it, cousin, we WILL get you back." Roark promised.

"Oh, we're quite sure you will, boys," Fili said, still chuckling at his cousin' words. "Alright, boys," he said, beginning to turn his viper, "let's head on over to Delta sector and took a look around, then we'll head over to Epsilon. Harry, you're with me. Roark, you stick with Ki."

"Understood," the both said as the split to take up their new positions, moving away from the Galactica and the fleet of eleven Battlestars.

cccVccc

He shot up with a cry, sweat covering his face, soaking his sleep shirt. Blindly, his hand shaking badly, he reached behind him to press the button on the com pad over the headboard of his bed, and waited for an answer, his head pressed to his raised knees as he tried to calm his racing heart.

"Yes," came sleepily over the com.

"Ethan?" he breathed, sudden tears beginning to fill his eyes, though he tried to stop them.

There came the sound of blanket's being thrown aside. "Rory? What is it, little brother?" he asked, sounding more awake and alert.

"I need you," he whispered. "Please, I need--"

Code your door, kiddo," he said instantly, getting to his feet and reaching for his robe.

Roark his barely entered the code to open the sitting room door when a couple microns later the door to the sleeps chamber opened. "I'm so sorry," he murmured, looking up from where his head rested against his knees, his arms wrapped around them.

"Never be sorry for needing us, Rory," he told him heading immediately to his bed and sitting down beside him, slipping his arm around him and drawing him into his side. "That is what family is for, to call when they're needed. It was a bad one?" he asked as Roark's head turned into his shoulder.

He nodded, lifting his head form Ethan's shoulder moments later when he heard his sleeping chamber door slid open. He could only shake his head, giving them all weak smiles as Harry, then Severus, Sebastien, Robin, Kili, Fili, Dylan, then he gave a blink of surprise as Charlie followed Dylan, Logan and finally...he blinked again. looking from Logan to Ryder, then back again, then turning to look at Dylan, to Charlie, and back again, his brow raising.

"Not one word, Imp." Logan warned him, pointing a finger at him as Dylan could only shake his head.

"Oh no, of course not, but I am quite pleased to see the two of you have FINALLY, like Dylan and Charlie, pulled your heads out of your asses and admitted what you felt for each other, though I had no idea you were sleeping together."

"Roa...rk," Logan whined, much to the amusement of those in the room. Both Dylan and Logan smacked their lover's bare chests, Logan saying, "Do stop it. There is absolutely no reason for either of you to encourage him further."

"Oh, of course not, sweetheart."

"Personally," came Charlie's deep voice, "I don't think he needs any encouragement."

A snort from Dylan as Rohan, after a glance at both couples, moved to the bed. "Another bad dream, Rory?"

A nod as he leaned back into his pillows. "Just like always. Like I was in the middle of it, watching, not able to say or DO anything to help, let alone stop it from happening."

"Can you remember anything specific?" Harry asked as he moved to sit on his left, reaching out to slip an arm around his shoulders, to sift though his dark hair.

Roark let his eyes slip closed as he tried to remember exactly what he had dreamed, trying to bring it to the front of his mind. Silence reined in his sleeping chamber for several microns, but then he gave a frustrated sigh. His eyes opened and his hand, still shaking, came up to rub over his face.

"No. There's nothing. It was...Is the same as always, except..." he drifted off, his face already pale, suddenly went white.

Suddenly afraid himself, but not really knowing why, Kili moved to kneel at the beds edge, reaching out to cover one of his hands. "Except what, Rory?" he asked. "Did something new happen?"

"Dolph," he breathed after a few moments of quiet.

"What di you just remember about Rodolphus?" Dylan moved then too, sitting on the bed and laying a calming hand on Kili's shoulder, then reached further to lay one on Harry's knee, for he could see AND feel they were both becoming very agitated. They needed to stay calm. If for no other reason than to keep Roark calm, keep him from falling apart on them.

He was there this time," he murmured, silver eyes growing distant. "He was just...suddenly THERE. For the first time since I began to have these dreams again, he was there."

"What was he doing, Rory?" Severus asked in a soft voice, laying a hand on Harry's shoulder, and when he looked up at him, he shook his head, looking too to Kili and Dylan to give them the same barely perceptible head shake, or so he thought anyway.

"Don't think for one micron I don't see you telling them to be silent, Sev," Roark said, looking up at him with a raised brow, "because I do. He wasn't doing anything. Do you all remember that large hill behind the Academy? The one that faces Caprican Bay?"

They all nodded, because at one time or another, when he had felt the intense need to be alone, to think or to just be by himself for a bit...they'd find him sitting on that hill. Sometimes he's be doing homework, sometimes reading one of Harry's books he had taken an interest in, coloring, or just staring out at the blue waters of the bay. 

"He was just standing there, staring out. He was so close I could touch him. I reached to do just that, said his name. He had already begun to turn toward me with that smile he always has when he hears me coming, and then everything just...exploded. I snapped awake at that point, but the impressions, the feelings...Fire. Pain. Fear. Anger. Death and destruction," tears began to fill his eyes again. "Blood," he whispered in a suddenly choked voice. "Oh GODS, there was just so much blood this time too. His eyes...those so beautiful sherry brown eyes...open...staring. Dead." He rolled against Harry. burying his face in his side as he whole body began to shake uncontrollably.

"Severus. Sebastien." Robin murmured worried as he watched him. While Sebastien himself was not as strong an empath as some of the others, he was strong enough to feel Roark's intense distress, his terror for his husband, and he could just IMAGIINE what those swarm of feelings were doing to his brother's and cousin's that DID have a strong gift.

Severus was pulling a syringe out of his robe pocket as Sebastien reached for the one in his, being glad he had thought to grab one from his bag. "This will work much faster," he murmured already pulling the cap off as Robin moved with an alcohol swab to wipe at the spot Severus pointed too, then with a nod of thanks gave the sobbing Roark the shot as Ethan and Harry both began to rub his back to comfort and calm him.

"What?" he gasped, feeling the sudden prick of the needle.

"Just a little something to help calm you, relax you enough to send you back into sleep," Severus told him softly "and hopefully not dream again tonight."

"That depends on how strong it is. They're coming nearly every night now," he murmured as his so tense body relaxed, his emotions calming as his eyes began to slip closed. "Ohh...this one IS strong. This must be what you were working on before we left."

"It was, now hush, just be quiet. Let yourself go to sleep. A new day begins in a few centars."

He was asleep before Severus even finished speaking. He bent to press a kiss to his temple, then saw Rohan's expression. "What is it Rohan?"

"The shields he's work so hard to build and strengthen are fracturing."

"Hum..." Colten suddenly spoke up, a frown forming. "They look like they've been hit by a rock or something thrown hard at just the right place. There are spider web cracks al over the place."

"A very good analogy that, Cole," Ethan spoke up softly. "What ground he's managed to achieve is beginning to erode again too, and he's not any where near being centered."

"So what isn't he centered if he's grounded, Ethan? I though you couldn't have one without the other?" Charlie asked as he shifted closer to where Dylan sat, rubbing his hand over his tense back. 

"In normal circumstances, Charlie, you can't," Severus told him. "Unfortunately, Roark's circumstances are anything but normal. He has ALL of the psychic gifts, and every single one of them are strong, but it's his gift of premonition that's causing the real problem. The dreams he's having are not only strong, they're incredible real, and they're so tightly linked with his empathy, he's getting pulled into them as if he were actually there."

"And that is part of what is interfering with his getting properly grounded and centered. There's a few things we can do to patch the cracks, but once he wakes tomorrow, we're going to need the training room."

"I'll see it's made ready. Come on boys, let's let Ethan work with Rory. There are a few thing we need to do before we ourselves can go back to bed."

"What's that, Sev?"

"You can give Dad, Uncle Thorin and Uncle Bilbo a call while I call Dacian. They're going to want to know about this. Ask Dad for me if he has any idea's that could help us. Harry," Severus turned to look at him, "I need you to call Rodolphus."

"You ARE aware he's not going to be happy about this?"

"I am, but then, none of us are happy about this, nor do we have any real clue WHY this keeps happening." He turned his head. "And be warned, Logan Adrian, we WILL be wanting to have a nice LONG talk with you and Ryder tomorrow," his head turned to Dylan, "same for you and Charlie."

A deep sigh from both of them. "Of course you will. Come on Ry, let's go give Dad a call, then go back to bed before my brother's and cousin's try to scare you away."

"Not happening, babe. Number one, I've been around this family since Robin and Sebastien fell in love over ten yahren ago, and two, I don't scare easy."

"Same for me, so stop worrying, love," Charlie told Dylan, kissing his brow. "Come on, let's go all go call your Dad." He led him from the room, the others following as Rohan moved to take Harry's place.

Once the room had emptied, Rohan looked at Ethan. "You know, I'm not sure this will work much longer. These dreams are tearing him apart."

Ethan shook his head. "I know, but I don't know what else to do. We patch the holes for now, and worry about the rest tomorrow."

A/N Okay, here's Chapter Two. Let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off duty, Roark goes to the Officer's Club, where he runs into some trouble.

The next evening, after he had finished his duty rotation on the bridge, he took Omega's advice and headed straight to the Officer's Club where he knew Harry, several of his brothers, cousin's and new friends would be. The door slid open at his approach, and after entering, it slid closed behind him. He stood for a moment, looking around the noisy crowded room for a moment until he heard a shout, drawing his attention to where several of his brother's and cousin's sat, Kili motioning him over frantically. Shaking his head at how his cousin was bouncing around, he grinned widely at the group, seeing that they had appropriated two of the larger tables, pushing them together so they could all sit together.

Pointing to the bar, he saw their nods as Fili moved to grab another chair, placing it between Kili and Jacen's as if he were trying to separate them, which he probably was. Seeing the brief look Jacen threw at him before returning his gaze to Kili's bouncing form. That LOOK! Roark had seen that look on his face before, and he grinned as he moved to the bar. It was the same look Harry had on his face when he looked at Rabastan, and the one that was no doubt on his when he looked at Rodolphus.

"Well, good even' to ye, Captain Roark. What is it I can get for ye tonight?"

"I'll take a glass of your best Aquarian Red, Rhett. Don't see many Taurin's aboard a Battlestar."

Rhett chuckled as he reached for a glass, then turned to get a bottle from the back counter, before turning to face him once again. "Na, that ye do not, Cap'. Most of us stay home and mind the farms and vineyards, or whatever other family business we may be in."

Roark raised a brow, eyes sparkling suddenly with mirth. "I think it best I not hear anything about that, Rhett."

Deep laughter. "Aye, probably right about that. Your Da though...I let him talk me into coming here when he and your uncles came to Taura to deal with that band of particularly nasty Space Pirates who decided Taura would make a great new base of operation."

"I remember that," Roark said, all amusement melting from his gaze. "Uncle Kendric had been critically injured during that mission. He died in the Caprican Life Center a few days after they brought him home."

"Aye." A look of sadness in his amethyst eyes. "Bad business that. Lt. Commander was hurt trying to save m own Da. He did not succeed, of course, but damn if he did not give his best go. Here ya go, Cap'."

"So...you're one of the new ones, are you?" came a deep voice he didn't recognize.

Roark turned his head. The Warrior was tall, probably right at, or just over six foot, though well muscled. His hair was cut very short to his head, not quite red in color, but certainly close enough. His eyes were hazel, shading toward brown, and bearing the same look of lust that Roark had seen directed at him and Harry on more than a few occasions since they had come on board just under a sectar ago.

"Not quite so new, Flight Sergeant," he returned coolly, knowing that his and Harry's refusals of those that had sought them out made them not only targets, but challenge's many simply couldn't refuse. "Captain Roark Durin Potter Peverell-Lestrange," he introduced himself, seeing his eyes widen a bit at his list of names. He hoped, as he reached for his glass of wine, that that would be an end to it, but of course, that was not to be the case as he saw new interest flare in the Flight Sergeant's eyes. He nearly sighed deeply. "You are?" he asked, though...from the look Harry was giving him, and from the warnings of Logan and Kili, he already had an idea.

"Flight Sergeant LeShawn DeAngelo," he returned with a grin, taking the hand that had been extended to him. "So, Captain, how about you and I find ourselves a quiet corner out of the way and get to know each other a little bit better?" he gave the hand he still held a slight squeeze.

"No, Flight Sergeant," he said immediately, pulling his hand free. "I'm not interested," he said as calmly as he could, reaching for his glass. It was then he felt an arm slip around his waist, the Flight Sergeant stepping closer to him. "Back off, Flight Sergeant," he said, his tone holding a sharp snap to it, the air around them growing warm as his temper spiked, seeing both his uncles begin to get to their feet, ready to come to his assistance, but Alexei, Sebastien, Severus, and Aiden held them back, murmuring to them, obviously telling them to let him handle it as he saw a smirking Harry settle back in his seat to watch the show.

: Teach the bastard a lesson, brother, : came softly into his mind. : This needs to stop. :

"Come now, Captain, surely you--"

"NO, Flight Sergeant, I'm REALLY not. Now, if you don't release me and step back from me, you WILL regret it."

Amusement flickered through his eyes. "Will I now? You really are a feisty one, aren't you? Well...I like it when my men are feisty--"

Roark moved then, and before the Flight Sergeant could even THINK to react, let alone DO it, he had a very sharp, very cold steel blade at his throat. Behind them the entirety of the Officers Club went silent as everyone turned to watch the show unfolding before them.

"I SAID, Flight Sergeant," he hissed, his tone now colder than ice despite the fire that burned in his silver eyes. "That I was not interested. Now, I strongly suggest that you release me," he felt the arm fall away. "VERY good. Now, listen well, Flight Sergeant for I will nor repeat myself. Number one. Not interested means I have no interest in you. Zero. Zilch. None. Nor," he raised his voice just slightly, "do I have any interest in anyone else. No means no. Full stop. Two. See these?" he held up his left hand, the lights in the room making the rare, precious jewels sparkle. "This is a betrothal and a bonding-marriage eternity band. Know what that means, Flight Sergeant? If you don't let me TELL you what it means. I'm soulbonded, as well as lifemated. And THIRD, I'm a Counter-intelligence Officer, AND a Captain. THAT means I out rank you on both counts."

"Alright, Captain Roark, stand down if you please. I think he's got the idea," came the deeply amused voice that also held authority. "Let him go and sheath your blade."

"Of course, Major Desmond," he stepped back, pulling his knife away from the man's throat, and sheathing it in one quick move. "One more thing for you to think on while confined to your quarters until I have spoken to our Strike Commander about your action tonight. My husband?" he looked up into no longer amused and slightly scared eyes, his face going almost white. "Is Rodolphus Lestrange," he gave a nearly feral grin for EVERYONE, it seemed had heard of Lt. Colonel Rodolphus Lestrange and exactly what he would do when it came to Roark.

"Recognize his name, do you? Good. Remember it, because while I am well able to take care of myself, there are many others not in a position to do so and Rodolphus is less tolerant of others of others who attempt to force themselves where they are not wanted than I am."

"I think, Roark, that you have made your point."

"No, Desmond, I really haven't, and you will kindly let me finish making it," hw glanced back at his brother, saw his smirk and nod as he stepped back. Roark returned his attention to the man before him. "THIS, Flight Sergeant DeAngelo will not happen again. If it does, and I hear about it, I will see that you are arrested, your actions thoroughly investigated, and if you are found guilty, you will be stripped of your rank AND dishonorably discharged from the Colonial Armed Services. We are, before we are anything else, Colonial Warriors. We took an oath when we graduated from the Academy and put on these uniforms. Our jobs are to serve and protect.

"We most certainly are not here to use our status as Warriors to attempt to coerce others into doing things they have no wish to do, sexually or otherwise. If, once the Colonial Service is done with you, I ever hear of this happening again, I will not send Rodolphus to deal with you, I'll damn well do it myself. Have I made myself clear?"

Flight Sergeant LeShawn DeAngelo nodded, his hazel eyes wide.

"I can't hear you, Flight Sergeant," he snapped out harshly.

"Yes, Sir, Captain Roark."

"Good. Now return to your quarters and sober up. I will be speaking to your Squadron Leader about your behavior tonight," he reached past him to pick up his glass and turned to his brother. "NOW I have made my point, Des. Shall we have a drink, brother?"

"Yes, little brother, I think we should," he said with a nod. "Rhett, can we get another round at our table please."

"Sure thing, Desmond, and may I say ye handled that very well, Cap' Roark."

"He did at that."

Roark gave them both a smile. "Thank you. I just hope he listens."

A shrug. "Unfortunately, men like him rarely listen, as one they sober up, they've either forgotten what was said to them, or they blow it off. Ah well, on his own head be the consequences if he doesn't."

cccVccc

Roark entered the silent launch bay, moving to where the viper that had been assigned to him sat. Another three sectons had passed with only a few other problems after his confrontation with Flight Sergeant LeShawn DeAngelo, mainly from his close friends. Those problems had stopped when word had gotten out that the Flight Sergeant was now being investigated, as several people had come forward to asking to speak confidentially with several high ranking Counter-Intelligence Officers. It became obvious that Flight Sergeant LeShawn DeAngelo had made it a habit of accosting the newer, younger men and woman who came aboard the Galactica. 

He was even now sitting in the brig, under arrest on several charges as his Squadron Leader, the Strike Commander, Captain Apollo, and two separate Counter-Intelligence teams, Aiden and Kaden and Captain William Weasley and his partner, Lt. Samuel Melton began a thorough investigation into the matter on the orders issued by Commander Adama once the matter had been brought to his attention.

He sighed suddenly, thinking that they were going to find that the problem was going to end up being a whole lot bigger then they thought as he thought back to a few nights ago and the dinner meeting in his quarters. "I'm going to make you all a bet," Roark had said late one afternoon, "that this has been going on for far longer than any of us thought, and that it's not just the Galactica."

"Not taking that bet, Imp," Aiden said a bit grimly as he looked over some of the statements that he and the others had taken. "I've placed a call to Roark on the Solaria. He told me they would begin looking into it right away."

"I went to Commander Adama with our findings so far," Bill spoke up from where he sat between Harry and Kaden, "told him we would also be investigating his friends as we thought they were involved. He nodded and once I finished my report, he said he'd be contacting Admiral Roark to get permission for a full Fleet wide investigation."

Harry gave a sigh. "That would be a good idea, I think. I'm quite sure it's not just happening here and that this is far more wide spread then we think. It's like a game to them. See how many of the new personal coming on board we can seduce into their beds."

"It's not just the new ones, Harry," Samuel spoke up, holding up a sheet of paper. "This one is from one of the bridge officers. He's been on board for a couple of years, works one of the targeting stations. I have a few others and all of them say the same. DeAngelo and his friends made it clear they wouldn't be the ones who got into trouble, that they had a way of turning it around to make it seem it was their victims fault."

"Which then made them afraid to come forward for fear of being the ones in trouble instead of the other way around."

"Well, now it's going to get solved on way or they other, and that's a good thing." Roark had told them.

He reached up, sliding slender fingers along one of the wings of the craft as he continued to walk slowly, completely lost in thought, remembering not only that conversation, but several others that had followed it. What a mess the case against Flight Sergeant LeShawn DeAngelo had become, and now it wasn't just him, but several others with him.

As his fingers slid over the belly of the viper he heaved a second sigh. Gods DAMN he was missing Rodolphus like crazy. He loved to fly, to be out there amongst the stars in the vastness of space. His beloved husband had been so very right about that as well. Next to sex, flying WAS the next best thing. He smiled suddenly, Rodolphus face coming suddenly to the front of his mind, thinking he missed speaking to him at the end of their day, spending quiet nights in their house with Harry and Rabastan, or if they all wanted to be alone, they would each retire to their bedrooms. He missed making love with him, or simply lying in his arms as he read.

"That's a very nice smile, Captain Roark," came the voice, speaking softly so as not to startle him. He had heard from others what happened if you startled either him OR Captain Harry Potter, and it was not a good thing.

Roark had sensed his presence however and was already turning to face him when he had spoken. "Good evening, Flight Sergeant Jolly." 

:It is at that. May I be so bold as to ask what has you smiling like that?"

Jolly, Roark thought, was one of the few Warriors he had meet that was not in top shape being more than a bit overweight for his five nine height, his hair a sandy brown and eyes of bright blue. He was also one of the few that had accepted him and Harry with no problems. 

"Not much really, just thinking about how much I love to fly, being out there amongst the stars. How much I. love being here, love the work I'm doing. But, despite that, I miss Rodolphus very much. I miss being in his arms."

"I'm sure. It can't be easy to be separated from him when you're so newly bonded."

"We were aware it wouldn't be easy. We've been separated before, of course, but we weren't married and bonded as tightly as we are now," his head tilted suddenly and he gave him a grin. "You're wondering how my family, either of them, would allow Harry and I to marry and bind ourselves to Terminator's."

A start of surprise, his eyes widening, and Roark couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "Sorry, Jolly. Receptive empath and telepath. It's real easy for me to pick up on surface, or broad sent thoughts."

"Was I really thinking that loudly, Roark?" he asked and saw him nod. "Sorry, I'll try to be more careful."

"Don't worry about it too much, Jolly. It happens more frequently than anyone realizes. Most of the time it's not a problem, but for some reason, my shields are a bit thin tonight and I'm picking up more than I should. It's part of the reason why I came down here. To get away form all those stray thoughts."

"I'll still try to guard my thoughts better, especially as I know you aren't the only strong empath or telepath on board. As for yours and Harry's marriage and bonding to the Lestranges...I figure there must be more there than meets the eye, as well as more to the story than has been handed out. Your family...the Durin's that is, are notoriously protective--"

Roark let loose a bright, suddenly carefree laugh, interrupting him. "THAT, Jolly, is an understatement if ever I heard one. There is the Durin's famous family motto of 'family first. Always.'"

Jolly chuckled as he nodded himself. "Then, of course, there's the Commander. Everyone should know they would have put a stop to the bonding in a heartbeat if Rodolphus and Rabastan really WERE as bad as they're rumored to be."

Roark gave a nod. "Well reasoned, Jolly, and absolutely true. Unfortunately it isn't something that I'm permitted to talk about at this time."

"Because your husband and Harry's are undercover Counter-Intelligence Officer's, and their identities have not been released as of yet."

"Exactly so," he said as he turned to head back toward the lift. "And as you have guessed that much about Rodolphus and Rabastan, I should probably warn you to expect a visit from either Colonel Alexei it Lt. Colonel Aiden," a quick smile over his shoulder, "if not the both of them."

Jolly nodded. "To issue a warning not to discuss, or speak to anyone about what I may, or may not know," he said, stopping beside him when Roark paused at the lift that would take them back up to the main deck. As he looked at him, Jolly noticed just how pale Roark looked, and there was a tenseness about him that hadn't been there in the first weeks after he's arrived aboard. There was also a look of tiredness around his normally bright silver eyes. "You're looking a bit strained, Roark. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Jolly, thanks for asking."

"You'll see him as soon as we get home from this conference."

A slight pause. "IF we get home," came so softly it was obviously said with the hope that it not being heard.

But it WAS heard. "That was a cryptic comment," they stepped onto the lift, let it take them up.

Roark went very still for a moment as the lift stopped and the door slid open. "Well then," he said as they entered the corridor, "I'd best get myself to my quarters and into bed for some much needed sleep before I go and say something else I probably shouldn't. Good night, Jolly."

"Good night, Roark."

A/N There we go, Chapter 3 done at last. Let me know what you think of the story so far as I still have no idea. See you soon with Chapter 4.

Acaciarose.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jolly goes to Roark's brothers and cousins with his concerns. A few of them then go to Roark's quarters to talk to him.

Jolly watched him walk off down the corridor, a frown curving his brow. Something was wrong, but what it was he couldn't put a finger too. He liked Harry and Roark, as did all of Blue Squadron. Red was beginning to come around, as were green and yellow. Silver...well, Silver Squadron was made up entirely of Counter-Intelligence, and that team protected their own. Much as they all did.

A slow smile began to twist his lips. Time, he thought for a little strategic interference. Decision made, he turned and headed immediately toward the Officer's Club, where he knew he'd find any off duty Durin, as well as several other Counter-Intelligence Officer's, and hopefully, as he knew they were both off duty, Apollo and Zac.

"Hey, Jolly!" came Starbuck's call as soon as he entered. "Come join us for a drink and a game or two of pyramid!"

"Perhaps later, Starbuck. I need to have a word with Lt. Colonel Aiden and Major Alexei," he aid turning immediately to the tables in the far left corner of the room and headed toward them, pausing briefly at a table. "Captain Apollo, Lt. Zac, could you both join me for a moment?"

"Sure," Zac said as they both got to their feet, moving with him to the tables where Harry, the Durin's and several other Counter-Intelligence Officers sat. "What's going on, Jolly?"

"In a micron, Zac," he answered, his face serious, more than a bit worried.

Harry, Aiden, Alexei and several others looked up with smiles and curious looks at Jolly's approach as most of the Warriors tended to avoid Counter-Intelligence like they were the plague. "Good evening, Flight Sergeant Jolly. You look troubled. Is there a problem?"

"I think perhaps there may just be, Lt. Colonel Aiden. Are you all free for a few centons to talk about something I think may be important?"

"Of course, Jolly," one of the cousins said immediately. "Take a seat. Apollo. Zac."

"Kaden," Zac said as he pulled up an empty chair, taking a seat between him and another cousin Jared.

"Would you care for a drink, Flight Sergeant?"

"No, but thank you for the offer, Lt. Colten. I'm on patrol duty shortly."

"You said you thought there may be a problem. What is it?" Alexei asked once Jolly had taken a seat across form Fili and Nick.

"It's Captain Roark, Sir."

That got their attention. Everyone's. Immediately, every eye at the table turned on him and Zac set down the mug he had been about to drink from, sitting forward to rest his arms on the table. Harry sat forward, his emerald eyes suddenly intent, worried as he asked, "What ABOUT Roark, Jolly?" 

"There is something about Roark that worries you, Flight Sergeant?" Doctor-Major Robin asked as he too sat forward in his chair.

"Yes, sir. He was in the launch bay a few centons ago."

"That's nothing new, Jolly," Apollo said with a smile. "You can usually find Roark in either the launch OR landing bays when he's off duty and in need of some solitude."

"So I and several others have noticed on several occasions, Cap, but...I don't know, there was something different this time. Something that made me want to approach him and ask him if he was alright."

"Different HOW, Jolly?" Rohan asked from where he sat on Sebastien's left.

"When I got close to him, he had this...peculiar smile on his face. You know, I'd never really noticed before that he has a very nice smile." 

Smiles at his comment. "He does at that," Kili said, looking at him around Zac. "So, why don't you tell us what has you so worried about my cousin suddenly?"

"We were talking about how much he loves to fly, then about how much he misses his husband."

"We're aware he's having some serious problems being separated from Rodolphus," Colten said. "Just as we are fully aware," he glanced over, "that Harry is having the same issues being apart from Rabastan."

"As is to be expected given that we had just married and bonded two sectars ago. What was it specifically that is worrying you, Jolly?" Harry replied.

"It was what he said after I told him he'd be seeing him as soon as we get home. It was a very cryptic comment if ever I had heard one, and his tone of voice literally gave me the shivers."

"Which was what, exactly?" Jacen asked from where he sat on Kili's other side.

"IF we get home."

Silence.

Then, after a few microns, "I see," Aiden said quietly, sharing looks with Harry, his brothers and cousins. "Thank you, Jolly, for coming and sharing your concerns with us. We will, of course, take care of it."

He gave them a smile. "I knew you would, Sir. That's exactly why I came to you. Now, if you will all excuse me," he stood, "I need to get to the launce bay for my patrol."

They nodded, watching him weave his way back across the room before turning their attention back to each other. Harry pushed his mug back and got immediately to his feet, the motion followed immediately by his uncle's, Apollo and Zac. Next to their feet were Dylan, Kili, Rohan and Colten.

"We'll go talk to him." Rohan told them. "Hold tight here."

"You'll call us if you need us?"

A dark brow shot up. "Of course, Severus. As if we would dare not too."

Chuckles sounded as the seven of them began to weave their way toward the door.

cccVccc

A few centons later found them outside Roark's quarters, Harry reaching out immediately to touch the plate beside the door, asking for entry, heard the soft chime. "Enter," came his muffled response as the door slid open to admit them.

Roark sat at his desk, a folder lying open beside his Counter-Intelligence issued laptop, the computer humming as it worked. As he was off duty for the rest of the night, he had changed into a pair of emerald green sleep pants with a matching shirt, which, they all knew would be coming off when he finally went to bed.

Smiling warmly in welcome he rose to his feet, moving to give first Harry, then the four Durin's a hug, then moving to his uncle's. "So, what brings you lot to my door this evening?"

"Can't we come to see you for absolutely no reason at all, Rory?"

"Of course you can, Uncle Zac, but you haven't come here for no reason, have you?" he asked, his head tilting slightly as he looked at each of them.

"Have we been so lax in out familial duties, Roark?"

A frown. "No, Uncle Apollo. We've all just been extremely bu--"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted suddenly.

"Sorry? About what exactly?"

"Rodolphus. Your marriage-bonding ceremony. Doubting your word as to your relationship with him. Avoiding you, and finally being lax in my duties as your loving, adoring uncle."

Roark raised his arms, crossing them over his chest as he arched a brow, a smirking Harry took a seat on the arm of the couch while Rohan, Dylan and Kili all moved to the couch, taking seats to watch with amused looks. "Because?"

"Because," Apollo began with a sigh, running his fingers through dark hair, "I guess I felt, since you had found out the Durin's were your real family, you didn't need us anymore."

"Oh, Uncle Apollo," he shook his head, sighing deeply at his uncle's idiocy. "You great fool," he looked over at Zac. "I suppose you and Aunt Athena were feeling the same?"

Zac shrugged, looking more than a little ashamed.

"GODS!" he threw his hands up in exasperation. "Idiots! All of you are idiots! Just because I found out that the Durin's were my birth family does not mean I will ever deny the one that adopted me. Harry and I are closer now then we have ever been, AND I kept the Peverell Potter name for a very good reason. You two, and Aunt Athena will always be my uncle's and aunt."

"Forgive us, Rory?"

"Well, I guess that will depend, Uncle Zac."

"On what?"

"On whether you are going to keep being idiots."

"We love you, Roark."

A smile. "I love you too, and yes, you're forgiven."

"Told you," Dylan muttered.

"Yes, Dylan, that you did. So sorry for doubting you too."

"I should hope you are," came back instantly.

"Now, are you all going to tell me what brings you all to my door tonight?"

"We can't get anything past you, can we?" Apollo asked as his nephew raises a brow one again. "Okay, okay. Want to tell us what you meant by the comment Jolly heard you make?"

He turned his head, looking first to Harry, who met his eyes, then over at Colten, at Rohan and Dylan, then finally at Kili, saw the raised brows, the expressions on their faces, and he sighed deeply, running a hand over his face as he shook his head. "I guess I should have expected him to go to you," he said, moving back to his desk to retake his seat.

"Will you tell us what he meant, Rory? Please?" Colten asked.

The laptop beeped just then, drawing his attention away from them, frowning deeply as he read what he saw on the screen. Looking down at the file, he flipped back a few pages. entered some information, flipped back to the page he had been on and entered something else, then flipped a few more pages as he continued to type, before finally hitting send. Harry and the Durin's waited patiently for him to finish, but Apollo and Zac? Not so much.

"Sorry guys," he said, finally returning his attention to them. "Papa, Uncle Thorin, and Chris sent me something they needed me to look into," he shook his head, a wry smile beginning to twist his lips. "It's a very good thing I thought to have all of my files shipped up, or I'd have been in real trouble."

He turned in his chair, sitting back in his chair as his left hand lifted to rub at his temple where a headache had begun to form, the lights in the room making the his betrothal and wedding band sparkle in an array of rainbow colors. "How much do you two know about the dreams I've been having the last few sectars?"

They both shook their heads. "Not much, but then you, Dylan and Kili tend not to talk about them much."

"No, I guess we don't at that, and for very good reason," he murmured as Apollo moved behind his chair, set his hands on his shoulders and began to knead. "Um...mm. You have about a hundred yahren to stop doing that," he murmured as he rolled his head forward.

"Lords of Kobol, you're tense. I gather these dreams you three are having are bad?"

He closed his eyes. "Dylan's are bad, Kili's are worse, but mine are...well, mine are indescribably horrific."

Zac's head snapped around to look at Dylan and Kili with a look of disbelief. "They're the same?"

"Close," Kili answered him. "Though not quite the same, they're very, VERY close."

"Some of my dreams have become much clearer...not that they weren't ALREADY clear, and every time I wake up, I'm more afraid than the last one made me," he gave a deep sigh, rolling his neck as his uncle's fingers worked the knots from his neck and shoulders.

"As are we," Dylan told them quietly, slipping an arm around Kili's shoulders as he leaned into his side, seeking some comfort. Harry and Colten were silent, though they watched the three closely, worriedly.

Zac looked at them, at Dylan and Kili, then back to Roark, whose eyes were still closed as Apollo continued to massage his neck and shoulders. He moved then, taking a seat on the floor at his nephews legs, laying a hand on his knee. "Tell us, Rory."

"The dreams...or premonitions, are always the same. Fire, pain, fear, anger, death, destruction. The dreams themselves I can never, nor can Kili, remember once we wake from them, but the impressions stay around for a while. It's only been over the last sectar that their have been some changes. Changes that we ARE remembering."

"Changes, Rory? No. Don't tense up. Just relax...tell us only what you can. No pressure. No pushing you for more than you can give us. Just take your time. We'll stay here as long as you need us too."

Roark felt unexpected tears fill his eyes as he opened them, tilted his head back to look up into his uncle's concerned blue gaze. "But don't you see? That just what I'm afraid of. That we don't have any more time. There is now an immediate sense of great danger, but I STILL can't tell from where, or even WHEN, or from WHAT. Though I do have a suspicion. I see the fleet, all eleven Battlestars. I can see the Colonies. I see Rodolphus and Rabastan. Papa. Uncle Thorin and Bilbo. I see all those that we left at home. I've seen Grandmother...and the first time Rodolphus appeared it was like he was so close I could touch him." His eyes slipped closed again, voice dropping to a near whisper. "I's start to reach out...to call to him, and just as he begins to turn to me, everything just...explodes. Then Rabastan began to appear with him...the others...all so close I can touch them. I see the fires that burn, the death and destruction that follow. I can FEEL the pain, the anger and fear of what's happening. People...OUR people are crying out to be saved, only--" he broke off, shook his head, his tears beginning to leak from under closed lids.

"Only...what, little brother?" Rohan asked of him in a soft voice, worriedly as he had seen just how pale Dylan had become, how ghost white Kili now was. "Rory? Ki? What is it? What have the both of you seen that you haven't told us?"

"There's no one left," Kili whispered as he buried his face in Dylan's neck. 

Roark's eyes opened then, head turning, silver meeting Rohan's green gaze. "He's right. There isn't anyone left TOO save them. These dreams...premonitions...they're one big jigsaw puzzle. The pieces are all there now. Dylan, Kili and I KNOW they're all there, but putting them together. Ki and I...there is this part in BOTH of us that knows what this all represents, and it's just too horrific for us to put it together in it's entirety."

"And even if we could, we still may not be able to tell anyone where, or when."

Rohan frowned, looking between them. "From what you've both said, neither of you has said anything to Ethan about this? Dylan?"

Dylan shrugged as Roark answered, "He knows most of it," he stood, moved to the lone view window in his sitting area to look out, saw the Battlestar Solaria in the distance, "but no, I've not said anything about this latest batch of dreams, and Kili hasn't either, though we have been talking to one another, comparing notes on what we're seeing, and how new they are."

"Why not?" Colten asked of him as he slipped an arm around a very tense Harry's shoulders, drawing him close to his side for a hug, murmuring in his ear.

"Because they always come true, Cole," he said, wrapping his arms around himself, "and if this IS the near present, or the near future Kili and I suspect we are seeing, then I am about to lose the man I love beyond life itself. My brother will lose his husband too. I'm going to lose the father I just discovered I had, brothers, cousins, uncles. My grandmother. Out worlds, our very way of life, and I can't--" he lowered his head. "I just CAN'T face that. I cannot face losing Rodolphus."

"Roark," Apollo moved to him, wrapping his own arms around him, pulling him back against him. "Sh...hush now. If I've learned nothing else about Rodolphus and Rabastan, I HAVE learned they are both remarkable survivalists."

A weak smile as he turned in his arms, laying his head against his chest. "True."

"Rory, have you spoken to Father about this?"

He shook his head, drawing free of Apollo. "No, Uncle Zac. He's got enough to deal with without adding worrying about me to his list."

"Hate to tell you this, nephew, but he's ALREADY worried about you. When you've came to dinner the last couple of times, you've not exactly been your normal, perky, impish self."

"Agreed," Harry said. "Rory, I really think you should talk to grandfather about this."

"Agreed," came Rohan's quiet tone. "I think both you and Kili need to go to Adama and tell him everything. Dylan, you should probably be there too."

Roark looked at his brother's, at his cousin, saw then nod, and gave a sigh. "Fine, but not tonight. I just can't tonight," he looked over at his laptop as it gave a series of beeps. "I've got to get this finished."

"Rory, we'll be reaching the rendezvous point in a few days."

"I know that, Uncle, that's WHY I have to get this done. If I don't then I have a feeling our dreams will definitely be coming true."

A pause. "I see," he said as he slipped a finger under his chin, lifted his face, saw the fear, the stress...and so much more in his nephews eyes. "Just promise us you will talk to him soon."

"Tomorrow, Uncle. I promise."

A/N. Well, finally, here is chapter 4. I will hopefully get 5 out in a few days. Please let me know what you think so far as I still have no idea. Thanks for reading.

Acaciarose


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting takes place in Adama's Office. A final meeting of the Council of the Twelve before the rendezvous with the Cylons at the Old Moon of Cimtar.

"So, you have no clear idea where this feeling of immediate danger is coming from?" he asked after a few moments of silence once his grandson and Kili had finished telling them everything.

"Not with any certainty, Grandfather, but they're getting stronger the closer we get to Cimtar and the rendezvous point at the Old Moon."

"Roark, did you dream last night?"

"I dream every night now, Aiden. Harry has even taken to spending his nights with me so that I don't have to keep waking you guys up," he gave him a half smile. "You all need your sleep as much as we do."

"Rory," he began in a soft voice, giving his shoulder a light squeeze, "tell them, little brother. They need to know."

"Tell us what?" Alexei demanded, looking from Harry to Roark, then back to Harry. They both looked very tired, stressed, their faces paler then normal. "What do we need to know?"

"Rory," Colten spoke up quietly, drawing his eyes to him, "did you see Rodolphus and Rabastan die in last night's dream?"

Roark went nearly ghost white. "Yes, Cole," he whispered, "I watched...I FELT my husband die last night. I saw Rabastan die. Then the dream shifted and I saw Papa, I saw Uncle's Thorin and Bilbo, I saw our brothers and our cousin's that remained on Caprica, the children--"

Ethan gasped sharply then, a hand raising to rub over his heart, feeling not just Roark's pain, but Harry's as well. "Okay, now I'm REALLY getting worried here. More than worried, I'm truly beginning to get very scared."

"Ethan?"

Kili, who was leaning heavily against Fili spoke up then. "The more we see...the more we FEEL, the closer we're getting to whatever it is that's about to happen. Roark's gifts, as we all very well know, are completely off the charts, as are some of mine...our premonition being the primary one." He drew free of Fili suddenly, stood, and moved to the chair that Roark sat in, Harry sitting on the left arm. 

He squeezed in beside him, wrapping his arms around him and drawing him close to his side, his head bending to murmur in Roark's ear. None of them could hear what he was saying, but whatever it was, it had an immediate effect as they both seemed to relax at once. Harry smiled at the two of them, slipping his own arm around their shoulders protectively.

"So in other words you don't trust this peace offer from the Cylons."

"OF COURSE we don't trust it, Colonel," Fili very nearly snapped at him, but managed to contain himself and answer normally, looking worriedly over at his brother and cousin. He wanted very badly to go to them, but Ethan's wrist stopped him. : Let Kili and Harry have him for now. I think they and Dylan are probably going to be the only ones who can help him right now. : Fili nodded as they saw Dylan getting to his feet, moving to where the three sat and leaned over the back of the chair, leaning on close.

Returning his attention back to Tigh, who was also watching the now four young men with worry. He returned his own attention back to Fili when he spoke, "None of us in Counter-Intelligence do. We have, one and all, ben working feverishly and very nearly non-stop to prove that it's false."

Alexei stood then, began to pace the office, a deep frown curving his brow. "Unfortunately, it's been very slow going. Rory?" he turned to his youngest brother.

Roark opened his eyes, lifting his head from Kili's shoulder where it had been resting. He gave a tired sigh as he felt Harry's fingers begin to sift through his hair, and Dylan began to knead his shoulders, his neck. "Councilor Baltar's movement, while some are definitely more erratic then others, seem to check out. At least, the ones he made openly do. I haven't been able to get anywhere with the other ones yet."

"So he has made some secret trips?" Aiden asked as he too stood, unable to do anything else given how his own thoughts were racing around in his head, he too began to pace.

Roark watched them. "Several," he answered softly, " but as I haven't yet been able to completely trace them, I can't tell you where he went, what he may have been doing, or who he saw. Rodolphus, Rabastan and Christopher are working with Raph and Schy, to try to trace his movements from there. Their last message was 'no go. Know he's made trips, but haven't been able to trace them. Keep working. Love you, Babe.' A small smile.

"Which means you all may be looking for ghosts that aren't there, and that this Conference is a true Peace Offer."

Roark's head snapped around then, his silver eyes narrowed as he looked at Tigh. "NO, Colonel. What it MEANS is that Baltar has covered his tracks VERY well."

"You are accusing a Councilor of the Twelve of High Treason!"

"We're not accusing him of anything, Colonel. Not YET. We simply haven't found enough evidence that he is actually in collusion with the Cylons to destroy the Colonies."

"But why would he want to destroy his own Colony?"

"He wouldn't," Roark answered. "Which is why Papa and Uncle Thorin believe, and I agree with them, that somehow Baltar bartered with the Cylons to have Cancer spared. What exactly he has to barter with is still up in the air."

Adama shook his head. "I'm just not sure I believe this," he finally said. "That the Cylons would want to lead us into a trap to destroy us, alright, but that BALTAR is in collusion to help them? That is a stretch even for me to believe."

Roark turned his head, murmuring something to his brother's and cousin, which prompted them to release him, allowing him to get to his feet. "It's not as much of a stretch as you seem to think it is, Commander. Harry and I have patrol very shortly, so if you will excuse us..." he moved then to the door, exiting the office quickly.

They all watched him go, each with varying degrees of worry. Harry got to his feet, threw a look of anger at his grandfather, then followed his brother. The Durin's in the room, knowing exactly just how thinly stretched Roark was emotionally and mentally, looked at each other, vowing a family meeting. Something HAD to be done, and soon.

"Can the five of you honestly say that Councilor Baltar is in collusion with the Cylons to actually destroy the Colonies?"

"Do we BELIEVE it, Adama?" Alexei asked. "Yes. Without a doubt. Can we PROVE it? No. We haven't been able to find any definitive proof. Dad has pulled in every Counter-Intelligence to look at everything. The proof is there. His actions and movements have been very erratic at best. At worst...well, that's what has us all so damn worried, even scared. The proof we need is there, all we need to do is find it, and figure out exactly how he has managed to cover his tracks so well."

"We are not going to give up. Not until it's too late for us to do anything about it. Let's all just hope we find what we need too soon, or what Kili and Roark are seeing in their premonition dreams is going to come true in all their horrific glory."

cccVccc

"Roark, my boy! Harry!" came the affectionate call as soon as they entered the large conference room, making them both smile despite themselves. "I haven't seen either of you since your marriage-bonding ceremonies. Marriage to Lt. Colonel Rodolphus and Major Rabastan agrees with both of you, I see."

"It does indeed, though I miss Rabastan very much," Harry said as he allowed himself to be hugged. "It's very good to see you, Uncle Adar." Then he stepped back to salute sharply, a mischievous grin curving is lips. "Mr. President."

"Same goes for me," Roark answered with a smile, "though like Harry, I miss Rodolphus like crazy and cannot wait to get back to him, Uncle Adar," he let himself be hugged briefly, then drew back to salute sharply as well. "Mr. President."

"Oh, stop that, both of you. We are being completely unofficial at the moment." He chuckled briefly. "Imps. And of course you miss them. It was a real shame that Roark, Thorin, an d Dacian needed them to remain on Caprica." He let hus gaze move over them both, his smile widening. "Being in Counter-Intelligence obviously agrees a great deal with you both. You did very well with that whole Tom Riddle mess, and I have been hearing all kinds of great reports as to your dedication to duty."

"Thank you, we do love the job, and we have an amazing amount of support," Roark answered him, glancing up when he noticed movement behind the President at the exact moment he felt the touch at the small of his back, where he kept one of his knives. : Kili, don't even think about it, cous, : came his warning. : We still don't have all the proof we need. :

: Jut looking at that smarmy face is all the proof I need, : he snarled in return.

"Ah, Baltar, my friend, you've arrived. Come, let me introduce you to the two young men I've been telling you so much about," he said, his head turning, never seeing Roark flinch, nor did he see the glare he threw at Kili. "Councilor Baltar of Cancer, let me introduce you to Captain Hadrian Peverell Potter-Lestrange and his younger brother, Captain Roark Peverell Potter-Lestrange."

"My, that is quite a mouthful, is it not?" he asked them both, his eyes an almost beady black as he looked them over.

Adar chuckled. "That it is. The others with them are Healer Lt. Colonel Severus Snape, Lt's Logan and Kili, Captain's Fili and Payton, and finally Healer Captain Ethan Durin. Gentlemen, I believe you know that it was Baltar here who brokered the Peace agreement with the Cylons?"

"We do, Mr. President." Severus answered smoothly as he stepped forward his hand outstretched. "A pleasure to meet you, Councilor Baltar," he went on as Baltar took his hand, shook.

"You as well, Healer Lt. Colonel Severus," then he turned his head to the right. "Ah yes, the much talked about Peverell Potter boys, and NOT just by you, Mr. President. These two young men have, it seems, quite a little fan club everywhere I've been of late. Why, even the Cylon Imperious Leader has asked after them."

"Has he?" came the very tense, very guarded question.

"Indeed. Roark entering the Academy at fourteen, graduating with Honor's at sixteen, while Harry here entered the Academy at sixteen and graduated just barely three yahrens later, also with full Honors. Both with the highest scores ever seen in the history of the Academy, written and practical. Roark is also the youngest Warrior to be inducted in Counter-Intelligence at seventeen. Finally, the two of them brought down that smuggler-human trafficker-drug runner and murderer, Tom Riddle. Quite a list of accomplishments for one not even twenty yet."

: Hello? Can anyone say snake in the grass? : he asked telepathically of Severus, his brother's and cousins.

: Snake and SO...oo much more. : came Kili's snarl.

"Councilor Baltar," extending his hand, "a pleasure to finally get to meet you, Sir." : NOT! SO...OO definitely NOT!! : He heard his brother's, his cousin's and Severus laughter in his mind as Baltar's hand wrapped around his.

A very sudden, very sharp, very painful snap in his mind and Roark's legs buckled with a near scream of pain. "ROARK!!" Harry cried, jumping forward to catch him before his hit the floor, feeling not ONLY the painful snap, but seeing some of what Roark was seeing, and went white.

Fili was only microns behind, his arms wrapping around the both of them, helping Harry lift Roark to cradle him against his chest amid the sudden cries of worry as people began to swarm closer, demanding to know what had happened.

That was when a deep authoritive voice barked out. "QUIET! All of you be silent and do not crowd so close!"

Both Ethan and Severus were at their side, Ethan laying a hand on his brother's forehead as Severus laid fingers to his neck. "FUCK!!" he snapped sharply. Then, as id remembering where he was, he turned his head. "Forgive me, Mr. President, but all of his shields have collapsed."

"What ever could have caused such a painful collapse, Healer Captain?"

"We can't say for sure until he wakes up," Severus told him. "He did report to Life Center this morning complaining of a migraine. Doctor Major Sebastien gave him an omega blocker and sent him back to bed to sleep it off. We cleared him for duty just before we came here, and he hasn't said anything else about any other trouble."

"There's no real way to tell just yet to say what caused this, but believe me when I say we will be finding out. We're going to need a shielded room, preferably away from here before we even attempt to try to wake him. With all of his shields down, waking him here would not be a very good idea."

"No, absolutely not," Adar said, "not with as strong an empath as Roark is. We'd all likely end up with severe headaches at the least." He pointed. "Go through that door, Healer Captain. The pad just to the right of the door controls the shielding. I recommend you set it to 100%. Is there anything you will need?"

"No, Sir, but thank you. I think between Severus and I, we'll have everything we need."

A/N Well, here we go, Chapter 5 is finally done. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get this out, but I've been horrible sick for three weeks. Hope you all like the chapter. Please let me know what you think of my story so far as I still have no idea what any of you think as no one has left me any review. Good or bad, I would really like to know what you think.

I'll hopefully get the next chapter out tomorrow, or even late tonight. Thanks for reading.

Acaciarose


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roark wakes knowing exactly what is going to happen, how and when. Once the attack begins, he and Harry attempt to subvert some of the damage without much success.

A soft moan, followed by eyes fluttering open. "OH, GODS!!" he cried, rolling over to be sick in the pail that was pushed under his head just in time.

"Here," came a soft voice as he was handed a cold bottle of water. "Better?" he was asked after he had rinsed out his mouth then drank a few sips.

Laying back on the couch he was spread out on, he threw an arm over his eyes. "Not particularly. GODS! He's--"

The door slid open to admit Adama, the President, and, of all people, Baltar. "How are you, Rory?"

Roark removed his arm from over his eyes. Slowly, he sat up to face the three of them, his face extremely pale. "Sorry about that, Grandfather. I'm not real sure what happened. I was fine. Really, I was. There wasn't even a hint of a headache, or a migraine."

"I'm sure you thought you were fine, but whatever happened looked to be very painful, Captain."

He looked up into the President Adar's blue eyes, a man he had called uncle nearly all of his life. "It was, Mr. President. A very sudden, very sharp snap, like a rubber band being pulled too far until it snaps, then every one of mu shields collapsed." He frowned deeply then. "That's never happened before, so we aren't really sure what caused it. We're used to the fluctuations, one shield failing, then another, then the others redistributing themselves to compensate for the failure, but they've never snapped like that. Never collapsed all at once."

: I know exactly what happened to cause it, : he spoke privately to his brothers, cousins and Severus. : It was at the exact same moment that Baltar's hand wrapped around mine. :

: What did you see? : came from Severus. 

"Lestrange?" came the man in questions voice. "Now where have I heard that name before?"

: Everything. : he said, turning his head to meet Severus midnight gaze. : I saw it all, from beginning to end. :

"Roark was very recently married and bonded to Lt. Colonel Rodolphus Lestrange, and Harry here was married and bonded to his brother, Major Rabastan Lestrange. They were two of Counter-Intelligence's best undercover officers."

"Ah...yes, the ones they call the Terminators."

"Yes. That is, however only one of the names they have collected over the yahrens," Roark said in a far steadier tone then he felt, feeling Kili and Harry sit on either side if him, each taking a hand, twining their fingers with his. Suddenly, Kili's dark eyes widened just a bit, and the look of horror that came into them was the same as Roark's had been when he had first woken.

"So, did the Lt. Colonel and Major join either of you on this trip?"

"No, they didn't," Harry answered.

"But if they had," Roark said, his silver eyes raising to meet Baltar's, "we may have been able to find all we needed to stop what is about to happen."

That smarmy smile seemed to dim a bit. "Now what, I wonder, could you possible mean by that?" he asked as behind them the door slid open once again.

A nearly feral smile twisted Roark's lips. "Oh, I'm quite sure you know exactly what I mean if you think about it. Who knows? Even now, we may have JUST enough of a warning to avert some of it."

"Excuse me, Mr. President, Commander Adama, we're ready to begin." He turned his head. "Is there anything that you need, Captain Roark?"

"No, Mark, I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

"Roark, my boy, you're welcome to stay right here, or you may join us if you feel so inclined."

Everyone in the room except for the President and Adama saw Baltar's face pale a bit at that offer, but Roark shook his head. "As much as I would love to join you, Sir, it's probably not a good idea with my shields as thin as they are at the moment. Who knows what may leak?"

Adar nodded. "Stay here then, rest and let your shields repair themselves as best they can. Call for Mark if you need anything to eat or drink."

"We will, Mr. President, thank you." Harry spoke up then, his eyes on his brothers face.

"Roark?" Adama asked as Baltar and Adar left the room.

Roark could only shake his head. "Not yet, Grandfather. I haven't put it all together yet, but once I do, you will be the first to know."

"Very well," he said, turning and leaving the room as well.

Roark's head fell back against the couch. "What do we do, Rory?" Kili asked in a whisper, snuggling closer to his side as Fili moved to sit beside him, his hand moving to begin rubbing up and down his brother's back.

"We saw your eyes widen, darken, Ki," Payton said as he moved to take a seat in one of the nearby chairs. "We also saw the horror in them. What did you see when you took his hand?"

"Like Rory said, it's still pretty much in pieces, but what I did see...GODS!"

"What happened?" Logan spoke up for the first time. "Obviously, whatever it was, by both your expressions, it's not going to be pleasant."

Roark shook his head. "No, it's not, Logan. As for what happened to bring my shields down so painfully...way more then I could have expected. He's in so far over his head, there's going to be only one way out for him. By our hand or theirs, there is only one way out."

"Here, little brother, drink this," Ethan knelt before him, handing him the glass vial that Severus had just passed to him. "It'll help to dull the edges a bit."

Roark took the vial, drank it down in one go with a shudder of distaste. "Shit!" he gasped. "Can't you guys make these taste better?"

Ethan looked up at Severus, who had started to chuckle, shaking his head. "I'll be sure to mention it to the Doc's, though I'm quite sure you already know what they'll going to say."

A snort as he looked up at a still chuckling Severus. "Suck it up and be a man. Potions are not supposed to taste good, they're just supposed to work." Roark gave a deep sigh, his eyes slipping closed as his head fell back again, the omega blocker beginning to take effect to blunt his gifts, the ragged edges of his shattered shields. "He knows very well what he's done," he murmured, "and he just doesn't care. He's justifying his actions with the full belief that his Colony is going to be spared, as well as the promise from the Cylons Imperious Leader that he will rule what is left on their behalf."

"But that isn't what's going to happen, is it?" Fili asked.

"No, absolutely not. Fucking HELL!!" he snarled, jumping to his feet, whirling and throwing the vial. He heard it shatter and felt like it was his heart. "I've half a mind to march in there and tell them everything, but they refused to listen to us in Caprica...didn't or couldn't bring themselves to believe us. I honestly don't think they're going to listen to us now, not with Peace so close at hand. We're being lead...no, HERDED into this Gods damned trap, and there isn't a damn thing we can DO about it!"

They were all up, circling him, Payton's arms wrapping around him, turning him to pull him against him. "Shh...easy now, Rory," came softly into his ear as the lights flickered alarmingly, the room beginning to get uncomfortably hot.

His head fell forward, forehead resting against Payton's shoulder as slowly, he began to calm. "Oh Gods, Pay. They don't believe me...US. There is nothing we can do to stop what is going to happen, and it's tearing me apart." He gave a deep sigh, raised his head. "All we can do now is wait."

"Wait, and once it's over, we save everyone we can."

"That's just it, Logan. From everything we've seen so far, there won't be anyone left TO save."

"Hey," Logan moved, a finger slipping under his little brother's chin and turning his head so that their eyes met, "have a little faith. We'll get messages to Dad, Uncle Thorin and to the others."

Roark shook his head, his silver eyes tortured. "It's not going to matter. You haven't seen what Ki and I have. It's going to be a miracle if there are any survivors here, or there."

"Well then, little brother," Harry said, "it's a good thing I...WE happen to still believe in miracles, however unlikely it seems."

Roark gave him a weak smile, saying in a wry tone. "Of course you do. I really DO hope you're right, Harry. For all our sakes, I really do."

cccVccc

"You're absolutely sure about this?"

"Of COURSE I'm sure, Grandfather. The moment his hand wrapped around mine, I KNEW...SAW what he had done, and WHY. I wouldn't lie about something this important."

"I'm not saying you would, Roark Christopher, and I think you know very well I would never call you a liar. I just find it hard to believe that Baltar would, or even COULD do something so heinous as this, and to his own people no less."

"Galactica, this is Commander Adama's shuttle returning from Atlantia, requesting landing instructions," a pause, then, "copy that," Harry said, turning his head. "Port landing bay is ready to receive us."

Suddenly Logan drew in a deep breath. "Something's wrong," he said, his right hand lifting to press the earpiece of his headset closer to his ear, listening closely.

"What is it, Lt.?"

"Not sure, Sir," he said, turning his head turning, "they just put the ship on alert."

"It's beginning," Roark and Kili breathed as one, distant looks entering their eyes.

"Now Roark, Kili, let's not jump to assumptions just yet. We don't know--"

Two pairs of eyes, one dark brown, the other a luminous silver turned as one to look at him as Roark spoke. "Believe us or not, Commander, it doesn't matter any longer, because trust us on this, what we have been seeing in our premonition dreams these last few sectars is beginning."

cccVccc

They walked onto the bridge, Adama immediately moving to where Colonel Tigh stood. "What's happening, Colonel?" he asked as Harry and Roark moved to silently take up spots near the back metal rail of the three tier bridge. Harry glanced down at their Aunt Athena, saw her looking at Roark worriedly, then look at him, her brow raising as if asking him if Roark was alright. Harry gave her a brief shrug, a slight smile before returning his attention to his brother, whose arms had risen, crossed over his chest.

Athena rose from her chair, raising her arms to rest them on the rail. "Harry?" came softly, making him turn his head again. "What is it?"

Harry bent his head. "Be prepared, Auntie. We have a very bad feeling things are about to fall apart and become very dangerous very quickly."

She looked up into her nephews emerald green eyes, saw the seriousness, all his play put aside. She gave a nod and returned to her chair.

"Our patrol has run into trouble, Commander," he answered with a quick glance at Roark, watching his pale, but still face. His gaze next went to Harry, who stood close to his brother's side, saw his brow raise. "Their transmissions are being jammed."

"So there's no clear idea what kind of trouble they may have run into?"

"No, Captain Hadrian, not yet. It could be anything from smugglers, to space pirates, or--"

"Cylons." Came coldly.

"Now Roark, we can't know that yet. Tigh, get me the President."

"You don't trust them any more than we do, Grandfather, yet you keep denying what is about to happen."

Adama turned. "NO, my Grandson, I am not. We just don't have the proof we need to lay before the President," he moved to him then, lay a hand to his cheek, felt his turn his head into it. "Roark, look at me, please." And once those stormy, haunted silver eyes raised to meet his, he spoke, "I believe you. I believe every word all of you have been telling me, but without proof, I cannot act openly."

His eyes slid closed as a deep sigh escaped him. "I know. I'm sorry, Grandpapa," came in a whisper, feeling his grandfather jerk, his eyes came open and he smiled. "I haven't called you that since I was...what? Eight?"

"Closer to seven, and no, you haven't, and I've just realized just how much I've missed you calling me that."

"I'm so scared, Grandpapa. As soon as he touched me..."

"The President, Commander," came Tigh's quiet interruption.

"Thank you, Colonel," he said, then bent to brush his lips to Roark's brow. "Somehow, someway, we will survive this," he turned, moving to the console. "Mr. President."

"Yes, Commander, what is it?"

"One of my patrols is under attack, Mr. President. At this time, we don't have a clear idea who it is," he saw Baltar slip up behind the President, and he heard Harry's grumbling discontent, followed immediately by Roark's deeply indrawn breath at the sight of him. "Sir, I'd like to launch a couple intercept fighters to assist our patrol if necessary."

Baltar leaned in close to speak into Adar's ear. "I don't think that would be very wise decision at this point in time, Mr. President, in view of the...delicacy of our situation."

He nodded. "Yes, yes, quite right Baltar," Adar agreed as Baltar then turned to move away. "Commander, as a precautionary measure, I, must insist upon restraint."

"That slithering, low life snake," came Roark's very quiet snarl. "He's affectively tied our hands with those few words."

"Restraint, Sir?" Adama said at the same time as his grandson, covering his words. "But--"

"Commander, I DO understand your concern, but if this turns out to be an encounter with some unknown outlaw craft, we could jeopardize the entire cause of Peace by displaying arms so close to our rendezvous point."

"There isn't going to be any peace," Harry muttered with a glare at the screen.

"Mr. President," Adama began, giving both of his grandsons a silencing glance, to which they answered by raising their brows, "two of my star fighters are under ARMED attack."

"By forces UNKNOWN. You are not to launch until the situation has become more clear."

"Mr. President, may I at least urge you to bring the fleet to a state of alert?"

A sigh. "I will consider that if the situation persists, Commander."

The screen went black, and Adama turned, his eyes immediately going to his youngest grandson, seeing just how pale he had become. "Hook, line, and sinker. We are doomed." He bent his head, the fingers of his right hand twisting the rings on his left hand first one way, then the other, which he did only when he was extremely stressed. 

Harry moved then to slip his arm around Roark's waist, drawing him close to his side, bending his head slightly, murmuring to him. Roark's head turned, his forehead landing on Harry shoulders.

"He'll CONSIDER it," Tigh suddenly exploded in an agitated tone, glancing over at the boys. "Has he completely lost his mind? Two of out fighters are--"

"Colonel," came the quiet warning as Adama moved to lay a hand on his friend's arm, pulling him away a bit from where his grandsons stood.

Tigh's gaze followed his friend's eyes back to the boys, their heads bent together as they spoke to each other. Watching them, he couldn't help the slight smile that turned his lips up as he brought himself back under control. "I'm sorry, Adama," he murmured, lowering his voice to be close to a whisper. "It's just that..." his gaze shifted back to Harry and Roark to find emerald and silver eyes suddenly locked on him, as if they knew what he was about to say. "Well..."

"Just say it, Tigh."

"The patrol under attack? It's...well, Sir, it's under the command of Captain Apollo."

A deeply indrawn breath from Roark, his face paling even further as Adama spoke up. "If I cannot depend upon my eldest son, Tigh, whom can I depend on?"

"Adama, Zac's with him. It's his first patrol. One of the men took ill--" a snort from Harry AND Roark at that, for they both knew which man was SUPPOSED to have been on patrol with their Uncle Apollo. They would bet, if they were to walk into the Officer's Club right now, they would find Lt. Starbuck sitting with a group of warriors, playing pyramid, smoking and drinking. "Zac asked for this chance to go on patrol with his brother. I saw no valid reason to deny him."

"Of course he did. He's been wanting to go on a patrol with Uncle Apollo nearly as long as the two of us wanted to go out there with each other AND our husbands."

There was the sound of another deeply indrawn breath that sounded more like a moan to them all, drawing their eyes back to Roark to see what little color that remained in his face bleed away, leaving him white. Adama moved quickly to them as Harry wrapped his other arm around him.

"Roark," Adama murmured as he reached out to brush some hair back. "Tell us, baby boy."

"It's one of my dreams," he whispered, that, because of the silence on the bridge, was heard by all close enough to hear him.

"Hey, look at me now," again Adama lay a hand to his cheek. "Come on, pull yourself together. Your Uncle is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Nearly as good as Harry, you, and Apollo," he said in a quiet tone.

He gave him a weak smile. "Of course he can," he said, his eyes dimmed by far more than worry.

Adama slid his arms around the both of them, giving them a hug. "I want you both to be absolutely sure about this," he met both of their eyes. "I have never once doubted your words, it's just sometimes I wish that what you were telling me wasn't true," he saw them both nod, giving him smiles as he drew away from them and returned to Tigh. "Anything?"

"Nothing. Their transmissions are being deliberately jammed. If we don't launch soon--"

"We cannot launch, Colonel, it's been expressly forbidden--"

Roark moved, drawing free of his brother so suddenly, many were startled as he was quickly at his grandfather's side, laying a hand on his arm to draw his attention to see the new, calculating look that had entered his eyes. "Battle stations drill!" he said.

Adama started in surprise, wondering why he himself hadn't thought of that. "My little Demon Imp," he said proudly, turning back to Tigh. "This might, however be an excellent time to sound battle stations drill," he said. "Sound the alert, Colonel."

"Yes, Sir," he said, turning to do just that, but paused to smile at Roark. "Nice job, Captain."

Roark gave a brief shrug. "It's my job..." a quick glance back at his grinning older brother, "OUR job to be cunning, Colonel. To try to think of ways out of tight spots. Now..." a finger began to tap at his lips, a thoughtful look entering his eyes. "I wonder..." his eyes went to Harry. "Could it work?"

Harry met his eyes, held them as he began to grin. "We'll never know unless we try, Rory," he told him moving immediately to his side.

"Harry? Roark? What exactly are the two of you working on?" Adama asked as he looked from one to the other. 

A/N Well, here's the next chapter. It was starting to get too long so I've decided to split it up. I hope you like the chapter. Please let me know what you think. I'll try to get the next part out tomorrow morning.

Acaciarose


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The attack on the Star Fleet begins.

They both turned their heads to look at their grandfather, a new, even more calculating look in their eyes. "You'll see in just a moment, Grandfather. If, that is, you will allow us use of the com station. I have an idea, and if we can convince enough of the other Commander's...we may JUST be able circumvent some of what Kili and I have seen and survive this after all," he said as the red battle station lights came on.

A smile. "Do whatever you feel you need to do, Captain Roark, Captain Hadrian," came the immediate order. "You both also need to see if you can't get those messages out you wanted to send despite the jamming."

"Yes, Sir." they said as, with his first real smile since taking Baltar's hand aboard the Atlantia. They turned as one, moved to the com station to take the seats the bridge officers currently in charge vacated for them.

"Good luck, Roark, Harry," one of them said softly.

"We're going to need it, Tasric," Roark said as he sat, turned the chair to the station and began to contact the other Battlestar's. Harry took the now empty seat beside him and began to do the same, his hand covering Roark's briefly, giving it a squeeze.

"Commander," Omega moved to is side, speaking quietly with a glance at the now completely occupied Peverell Potter brothers, "our long range scanners show a large number of ships headed this way at a high rate of speed."

A stiffening of Roark's shoulders showed that he had heard him, but he continued talking as his Aunt Athena turned in her own chair, a single sheet of paper in her hand. "A single patrol ship is approaching, Commander."

Adama looked at each of them, giving them nods as he turned to speak to Athena. "Get that pilot up here as soon as he lands," he ordered, moving the few steps to place a hand on Roark's shoulder, who glanced up without breaking off his conversation. "Get me the President," came softly.

He gave a nod, reaching out to flip another switch. "That's great, thank you for listening, Commander Stuart."

"It's a very good idea, Captain, and if you're right about what we're about to face...and if this idea of yours works, we may just have a chance to survive this." He saw Adama standing behind Roark and gave him a smile. "I've said it before, Jacob, and I'll say it again. Two very smart boys you have there." The screen went dark.

"The President coming up on screen one, Commander."

"Commander?" came Adar's voice, his face appearing on the screen.

"Mr. President, a wall of unidentified craft is closing in on the fleet."

Baltar moved into view once again, an oily, condescending smile curving his lips. "Ah...yes, perhaps the Cylons have sent a welcoming committee," he said. "The Imperious Leader said that he might do so."

Roark sat forward, but a tight squeeze to his shoulder prevented him from saying what he had been preparing too, as at the exact same moment, Harry had reached over to curl his hand around his brother's wrist to hive it a squeeze as Roark continued to glare at the screen.

"Sir, may I suggest we launch a welcoming committee of our own?"

Adar looked like he may just be considering it, but then Baltar spoke up again. "Mr. President," he began, "there remain many hostile feelings amongst our warriors. The likelihood of an unfortunate accident with all those pilots in the sky at once...?"

"Hum...yes, perhaps you are right, Baltar. Commander?" President Adar returned his eyes to the screen and Adama.

"He can't actually believe that our warriors--"

"Sir," Adama began, throwing a silencing look at Roark, "did Count Baltar just suggest that our forces sit here totally defenseless?"

"My friend, we are on a Peace mission. The first Peace man has known in well over a thousand yahren."

"There isn't going to be any--" Roark was unable to resist snapping out, but was quickly interrupted by a new voice breaking into the communications.

"Blue flight two in trouble. Requesting an emergency approach," Zac's not quite calm voice came over the speakers, making Roark turn his chair, reaching out to flip another switch, which brought up yet a third screen with only a few more key strokes.

"Oh...my...GODS!" he gasped when the screen lit to show them what was happening with his Uncle Zac. He was still out in front, but the wall of craft behind him was closing very quickly.

"Mr. President," Adama began as soon as he saw what was on the screen, his face paling a bit.

"Commander," Tigh hurried up the steps from the second tier of the bridge, "one of our patrol craft is under fire from the main force approaching the fleet."

"Mr. President, your WELCOMING committee is FIRING on our patrol!!"

"Baltar?" Adar looked around, his confusion obvious as he called again. "Baltar?" he turned back to the screen. "He's gone."

"Of course he is. So does the snake slither away, leaving the lamb and his entire flock to be slaughtered."

"Just what, Captain Roark, is THAT supposed to mean?"

"Unbelievable," Roark snapped with a shake of his head, "that you could have actually believed that the Cylons would--"

"Roark, that's enough," came Adama's quiet voice.

Roark looked up at him. "Fine." He turned pointedly away from the President and the screen he was on to watch what he knew was about to happen on screen three. Harry reached out, covering his hand, twining their fingers as they watched together the largest force they had ever seen move closer...closer...closing far too quickly on their uncle's patrol viper.

"Patrol to fleet!" came Zac's now extremely panicked voice. "Patrol to fleet, I need help!" The sound of an explosion close by. "I ne--" the sound of another explosion, then another, then...

An explosion filled the speakers of Galactica's bridge.

Silence.

Roark closed his eyes, head bowing as the fingers of his left hand came up to touch the screen his uncle's patrol viper had been only micron's before. "Uncle Zac," he whispered, his uncles laughing face appearing in his mind. "Rest you well and in peace. I love you."

"What was that?" came the question into the silence on the Galactica's bridge.

"THAT...Mr. President, was my youngest son."

"Cylons are opening fire, Commander!" Harry barked out, turning his chair, his full attention once again on the console before him as beside him, Roark shook his head, and got back to work.

"Positive shield. NOW!" Adama ordered. "Launch all fighters! All fire control batteries commence fire!" came the consecutive orders.

Harry and Roark worked quickly together, each keying buttons and flipping switches. The massive metal doors closed over their main starfield window, as others all over the Galactica slid into place to cover all outer facing windows. Their laser batteries began to fire at once as the Cylon ships began to swarm.

"Sir, they're off," Omega reported, turning from where he stood on the second tier, watching the screens. "All fighters launched."

"Roark, Harry, were any of the other Battlestars able to get their fighters off?" Adama asked, then waited tensely for them to answer as they checked their readings.

"Atlantia, no. Solaria, yes. Orion, yes. Gemaria, yes. Taura, no. Pacifica, no. Columbia, yes. Acropolis, yes. Scorpia, no. Aquarian, yes." They looked up. "Including us, that makes seven out of the eleven Battlestars. It's not the greatest of odds as they out number us by several hundred or more."

"Gods help us then," Adama said.

Roark gave a nod. "Indeed," he said as he got to his feet, followed immediately by Harry. "The com is yours Lt. Tasric, Sergeant Conner. We thank you for it's use."

The two of them then moved silently to the steps down to the main floor of the bridge, then over to their Aunt's station, tears rolling down her cheeks. They both slid their arms around her shoulders, hugging her. "Oh Harry, Rory," she turned her head into Harry's shoulder. "Zac."

"I know," he murmured, drawing back slightly to wipe away her tears. "Get control of yourself for now. We'll be able to mourn our dead later, after we know we've all survived this."

She nodded, drew in a few deep breaths, releasing them slowly, then reached into a drawer where she kept her personal supplies. She pulled out a small pack of wet cloths, withdrew one to clean her face, them gave her nephews a weak smile. "Thanks, boys."

Roark gave her a weak smile of his own, bending his head to press a kiss to her brow as Harry ran his hand over her dark hair before they began to move away from her, only to see Apollo hurrying onto the bridge. Adama saw his as well, and moved quickly down the steps to meet him.

"Cylons," he gasped. "It was an ambush all along. I had to leave Zac. He's disabled. I'd like to go back and lead him in."

"That, I'm afraid will not be possible," Adama said, a hand coming up to wrap around his wrist.

"Father, I didn't know what else to do. If I don't go back, he doesn't stand a chance!" he exclaimed, but then he saw Harry and Roark's faces as they moved up beside them. Meeting first the emerald green gaze, then the silver, a dawning, horror filled realization hit him, and he looked back at his father, who was, even now, shaking his head. Harry and Roark each slid their hands around the uncles upper arms, squeezing.

"Zac?" he asked, looking back at his youngest nephew to see the pained look in his eyes, and in Harry's when he looked at him.

"His ship was destroyed just short of the fleet," Roark said, his voice made much deeper because of his barely controlled emotions, and with his shields so thin after their collapse aboard the Atlantia, he was having a very difficult time keeping everyone out. "It wasn't your fault, Uncle Apollo," he said quickly, feeling all to much the burst of heavy guilt, a failure to protect. "He knew the risks, just as we all do."

"I know he did, Rory," came softly, "but I left him." He pulled free of them, turning away from them all. "GODS, I LEFT him, Roark!"

"I know," Harry spoke up, moving back up beside him to lean into his side, felt an arm go around his waist, hugging him close. "You had no real choice. He knew that, and so do you. Someone had to warn the fleet, and with his viper damaged...he knew he's never be able to keep up with you. Not at the speed that was required."

"That really doesn't make me feel any better, Harry."

"Nor would it any of us had we been in your shoes. We don't leave our people behind, but you did what was needed for you to do."

"Captain Hadrian, Captain Roark, Captain Apollo, as sorry as I am about Zac, we need to know how many Baseships we are dealing with," Tigh asked from the third tier of the bridge.

"No Baseships," Apollo answered immediately, drawing free of his nephews comforting holds to move to the stairs.

"You must be mistaken, Captain. Cylon fighters can't operate this far from Cylon without Baseships."

"I'm telling you there were no Baseships, Colonel. Just those damn fighters, more than we could ever possibly count."

"How do you account for that, Apollo?"

A deep sigh as he ran a hand through his dark hair. "I don't know, Father," he said, drawing in another deep breath, releasing it, then went on more calmly. "We picked up an empty tanker on our scanners. There was a second one tucked in behind the first. If I had a guess, I'd say they used those tankers to refuel after flying to that point from wherever their Baseships are right now."

"But...why operate so far from Cylon without Baseships when it wasn't necessary? They'd have been well out of range at the Old Moon of Cimtar." Tigh asked in confusion, looking at the two Adama's, then at both Peverell Potter boys, never noticing when Ethan and Sebastien Durin came onto the bridge.

"Unless..." Adama began with a thoughtful look, giving the Durin brothers a smile as they moved immediately to Roark, who, sensing his brother's presence now behind him, sought out Sebastien's comforting strength. "It WAS necessary for them to be somewhere else."

Roark's sudden sharp gasp made everyone listening to the exchange turn to him, seeing the suddenly horrified expression that had entered his eyes. "The COLONIES!!" he cried. "Of COURSE!" he drew quickly away from Sebastien. "A two pronged attack. Attack US here, far from home, keeping us busy so that their Baseships can attack the Colonies without a chance of us interfering."

Adama nodded, turning to hurry up the steps. "Get me the President!" he ordered as he reached the upper bridge. The screen pit at once. "Mr. President, I request permission to leave the fleet. I believe our Home Worlds are about to face immediate attack."

"How could I have been so wrong?" he asked of them, shaking his head as behind him an explosion sounded.

"Mr. President--" he tried again.

"I have led the entire human race to ruin."

"Perhaps you have, Sir," Roark spoke up as another explosion sounded, "but there may yet be time," he told him.

"How?" there was yet another explosion, a burst of fore off to the left.

"Let me take another Battlestar. We'll head for Home," Adama said, wrapping a hand around his grandsons wrist, the screen wavering, beginning to fade. "Maintain contact."

"...the Solaria," they heard as another explosion sounded, then came the sound of shattering glass.

"Oh my Gods," Harry breathed in horror, "that was their main star field window," he moved up behind Roark as the watched the vacuum of space blow through the Atlantia's bridge. "The fools didn't close their positive shield."

"Positive shield, now," Adama ordered with a nod.

As the huge protective shield over their star field window shifted, they saw the Atlantia under heavy attack, fires could be seen raging everywhere within and without her. It was only a few microns later that there was a huge explosion, the fires on board having reached their solarium fuel tanks. When the field cleared, the Atlantia was gone.

"Oh my God," Adama breathed, hearing Roark's soft cry and turning to find him rubbing his chest, Harry's arms wrapping around slumped shoulders. "Get me Commander Jensen." Adam ordered, stepping closer to his grandson, feeling the shudders that racked him. "Roark, I--"

He shook his head as suddenly both Ethan and Sebastien were once again at his back, with Harry still beside him, offering their support. "I'm fine, Grandfather," he said softly, though they all knew he wasn't. The screen lit to a very bloodied Lt. Commander Roark Durin.

"ROARK!" came from Ethan, Sebastien, Roark and Harry at once.

"I'm fine, most of this isn't mine. Jacob?"

Roark, where is--"

"Dead, I'm afraid. That's who's blood this is." He turned his head, calling out, "Jordan! Take a team. I need you to try to get that fire under control before it reaches our solarium fuel tanks!!"

"On it!" came the call back.

"What was that explosion we heard?"

"The Atlantia."

"The Gemaria is gone too," Rory reported. "The Taura, Columbia, and Pacifica are ablaze--I take that back, we've just lost the Pacifica. Roark?" he looked back at his cousin from the screen he had been looing at to see him wiping blood from his forehead with the sleeve of his scarlet jacket.

"We've sustained some heavy damage, but we're still mobile. Plan?"

"We believe the Colonies may be facing immediate attack."

"Well of COURSE they are," he said with a nod. "Actions?"

"As much as I hate to do this, we're withdrawing from here a nd heading home. Two Battlestar's definitely won't be enough, but we have to try."

"Agreed. Lead the way, Jacob, I'll follow. Taylor!"

"I hear you bro!" came the shout from somewhere across the bridge.

"I need you to take the helm, little brother. Get us out of this mess," he called down to him. "Maintain contact with the Galactica, and contact Grey--"

"Sir..." another bridge officer began, but broke off.

"What is it, Kenten?"

"I'm very sorry to have to report this, Sir, but we've lost Lt. Colonel Greyson. His viper is reading total destruct."

Roark drew in a deep, uneven breath at the report of his brother's death, his head bowing and his eyes slipping closed as on the bridge of the Galactica, the Durin's present had frozen at the news, Rory able to feel their pain as his own.

"Oh, Grey," he breathed, his own eyes slipping closed.

"Sir?" they heard from the Solaria.

Roark's head came up. "Thank you, Kenten. Contact whomever you can reach, tell them what has been told to us, and the current plan of action.

"Yes, Sir," he replied turning in his chair to do just that.

A/N Well, there we go. Another chapter completed. Next we will see the attack on the Colonies begin. Hope you all enjoy this chapter, Please let me know what you think of my story so far by leaving me a few words be they good or bad.  
Acaciarose.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The attack on the Colonies begins. Messages get through to Rodolphus, Rabastan and Thorin. Roark, as he stands on the bridge, begins to spiral out of control as he watches his premonition come true in all it's horrifying detail. They reach Caprica.

"Sir," Tigh called out just then, drawing their attention away from the Solaria's bridge. "Long range scanners have picked up Cylon Baseships at grids 035, 126, and 258. That puts them well within striking range of the planets Virgon, Saggitara, and..."

"Caprica," Roark breathed in horror. 

"Yes, Caprica. Roark, did you get that?"

"We did. Our own long range scanners have picked up Baseships near Aquaria and Leo."

"Verified," Tigh answered immediately.

"Rory, were you and the others able to get your messages out to Roark, Thorin, Dacian, or Rodolphus? Harry, Rabastan?"

"I managed to get a coded message out to Rabastan, but rather he's received it or not, I can't say."

"Same here. We all sent out coded messages as soon as we returned, Grandfather, then Harry and I sent out a second message when we took the com station. There's just too much jamming and interference to know rather they've received them or not, though. I really doubt getting word to them is going to matter at this point. What are a few men, a few cadets from the Academy going to be able to do against the kind of fire power the Cylons are going to be bringing to bear against them? That's even given they can get any fighters off the ground."

"As true as that may be, cousin, let's hope that at least some of those messages got through. Maybe, even if they can't get fighters off the ground, they can get as many as possible into shelters."

Roark turned his head to look at the screen. "That is what I am now hoping too. I've also tried to reach Dolph telepathically, but we're just too far from each other. Maybe once we get closer to home..."

cccVccc

It was barely sunrise when he was woken from a very restless sleep, reaching to touch the empty place in the bed beside him. GODS, he missed having Roark beside him, he thought as he sleepily reached out to silence his alarm, only to realize it wasn't his alarm ringing rather insistantly, but his com pad. Throwing aside the sheet and light blanket, he got out of bed and moved to the desk where he had been working late last night.

A crackling, very broken voice he recognized at once came through the speakers, though no picture was received. "Ro...dolph...us. Danger. Cylons...was a...trap. Am...bushed. They're...coming..." His bedroom door slammed open to admit a frantic Rabastan, already dressed, if a bit sloppily.

"Did you get--" he began quickly.

A nod. "Fuck!!" he moved quickly then to throw on the uniform he had been wearing yesterday even as he reached out to key in an emergency code. The screen lit immediately to show him Roark Durin. "There's no time!" he said quickly before his father in law could say anything. "Rory and Harry sent coded, broken messages. It was a trap. They were ambushed. The Cylons are coming."

Roark nodded, throwing aside his own sheet and blanket as he reached for his robe. "Right. Rodolphus, you and Rabastan are closer to the Academy. Get there, rouse Command. If the boys messages are just getting to us, they may already be under attack, which--" 

He broke off, his head turning as his bedroom door slammed against the wall when it was thrown open, Thorin running in, Bilbo right behind him. "Roark, a message from Kili!"

He held up a hand. "Rory and Harry got through to Rodolphus and Rabastan as well. Bilbo, rouse the family, get everyone into the shelter. Thorin, go rouse our boys, we aren't going to have much time, I think."

"Right," Bilbo said. "And as soon as I get our family into the shelter, I'll run up the hill and get Ila."

Roark nodded as Bilbo hurried from the room, followed by Thorin. "Rodolphus..."

"Already on it," he replied as he and Rabastan turned and ran for his patio doors, hoping against all hope that his beloved was alive.

cccVccc

There was absolute silence on the bridge of both the Galactica and the Solaria as they watched wave after wave of Cylon fighters attacking the six inner planets of the Home System. Tigh moved up beside Adama, saying softly, "Commander, Cylon Baseships now launching to all outer planets."

"Yes, thank you, Tigh," he told him, his eyes on Roark, saw that Harry, Ethan and Sebastien had their arms around their youngest brother as he leaned into them, horror stricken eyes moving from one monitor to another. He moved toward them. "Ethan?" he asked, slipping his hand over his shoulder.

Ethan turned his head, his face very pale as the camera's shifted again, picking up different positions of a Capitol City now in ruin. Presidium Square was now a complete ruin, the Capitol Building, the Life Center Training Facility, and finally the Academy had all taken direct hits, and were now nothing more than a pile of twisted steel and broken glass.

"Chaos," he murmured. "He's lost completely within his own mind, trying desperately to reach Rodolphus, Rabastan, Dad, Uncle Thorin...anyone with a strong enough telepathic gift to hear his screams. "I've been trying too."

"Nothing then?"

He could only shake his head as a soft moan reached their ears, Roark's head bowing his eyes closing. Sebastien tightened his arms around him even as he turned his head. "Orders, Commander?"

"Go get your Life Center ready. Call in all your people, Bastien. Roark," he turned to look at the screen that displayed the silent bridge of the Solaria, "what condition is your Life Center in?"

"Damaged, but systems show it as completely functional. We've lost our CMO though."

"I'll send Selik over to you, Roark. He's our fourth best doctor, and his team is the fourth best to mine, Robin's and Severus'."

Roark nodded, turning his attention to another screen. "Tell him to land in the Port bay as Starboard is still ablaze. Communications to the bays are fried, so tell them to be careful as we have no way to guide them in."

"Will do. What's your status, Cous?"

A slight shrug. "A concussion, probably a couple broken ribs, but otherwise fine."

"Have Selik check you over as soon as he arrives. Let's be sure you aren't bleeding internally anywhere. Have any of your crew that isn't hurt work in teams, get your most critical to the Life Center, then evaluate the rest."

"I already have Jordan working in that, Bastien."

Sebastien nodded. He looked then at Ethan, met his eyes. Ethan nodded. "Harry and I have him."

cccVccc

It would be another couple of centars before they reached Caprican air space. Since neither Battlestar had much in the way of fighter pilots left, they used long range scanning to determine that, right then, there were no Cylon Baseships in there range. Adama turned to Tigh.

"Prepare my shuttle, Tigh," he murmured, looking over at Roark, who was now standing very still, his eyes closed, head tilted. Hearing his grandfather order his shuttle, however, brought his eyes open to turn his haunted silver gaze on him.

"Your shuttle, Sir?"

"Yes, Tigh, my shuttle. WE," his eyes met Roark's, then Harry's holding them each for a few microns, "are going down to the surface of Caprica."

"Is that really a good idea, Commander? There could still be Cylon craft about, though our scanners aren't picking any up."

"Wise or not, the boys, the Durin's that are left on board, and I are going down there."

"I have a team ready here as well, Jacob. However, taking the c=shuttle may not be the best idea."

"Perhaps not, Roark, but I seriously doubt that Rory is in any condition to fly right now, and as you DO have several broken ribs, you probably shouldn't be getting into a viper either."

"No, absolutely NOT!" Sebastien snapped harshly, looking at the screen. "Roark, you and any of out boys that are hurt are to take the shuttle. I think we can come up with enough pilots to guard both shuttles."

A soft chuckle sounded. "Right. Understood. See you all on the surface. Kenten, you are to maintain contact with the Galactica at all times, and if the Acropolis arrives, let us know at once."

"Will do, Lt. Commander."

cccVccc

"Father?" Apollo murmured into his headset after reaching out to flip a switch to put them in private mode. "Is he going to be alright?"

Adama turned his head. "If you're asking about Rory, I just don't know. I hope he will be. They're all hoping that once we're on planet, that he'll be able to pull himself out of this downward spiral his emotions are in."

"Robin and Severus have beta and alpha blockers at the ready to blunt his gifts should it become necessary, Apollo," Sebastien spoke softly into his own headset, making them turn t look at him. "Once he has locked onto Rodolphus, Rabastan, or one of the family should Dolph or Bas be unconscious, or..." he broke off, looking over at his youngest brother, who was, even now sitting silently between Harry and Ethan, Robin on Harry's other side, and Severus on Ethan's, "Gods forbid, dead, they'll give him one or the other."

"Just how bad is it, Sebastien?"

"It's bad. We thought he was bad when all of his blocks and seals came down at once with his gifts at full, or near to full strength on Aquaria, this doesn't even begin to compare. This is a hundred...a thousand times worse. The horror of watching his and Kili's premonition came true. His husband, his brother in law, his grandmother, our father, uncles, brother's, cousin's, nieces and nephews all possibly being dead? On top of all the ones we have ALREADY lost..." he shook his head. "ALL of his shields, his walls have completely shattered, leaving him with no way to protect himself because his mind in a complete, chaotic downward spiral that none of us have been able to stop."

"And believe us when we say we're trying," came Jordan's quiet voice from over the Solaria shuttles com. "As soon as those of us with a strong enough telepathic and empathic gift that could possibly reach him got close enough to him, we began to try to reach out to him. He's lost too deeply. He now knows from mine and Roark's mind that we've not only lost Grey, but Christian, Lucian, Alysia, Kalista, and Acadia. Gods only know who else we may have lost from the family. He knows we're here, that we're calling for him, reaching out for him, holding on to him as tightly as we possibly can."

"Right now, all we can do is pray that Rodolphus, Rabastan, Uncle Roark, and all the others are alive," Roark said quietly, joining their conversation. "ESPECIALLY Rodolphus."

"And if he isn't alive?"

"Then you had better begin to prepare yourselves, as we are preparing ourselves. We meant what we said, Jacob. They are a true soul AND lifemated pair. IF Rodolphus is dead, we will very likely lose Rory as well, and it won't be a matter of sectars, or even sectons. It'll be a matter of centars, or centons."

"He'll kill himself?"

"NO! He'll simply...fade. For those of us with true soul and life-mates, losing our partner's is a horror none of us ever wants to contemplate, but in our line of work we know we must. No matter what happens now, Roark will know we are here for him, no matter what, and IF Rodolphus IS dead, we will remain with him until he follows him." Sebastien said.

"So...there is truly nothing that can be done if Rodolphus is lost to him?"

"If he had been stronger when this all began?" Jordan said. "Perhaps. But not now. Not at this point. He may have the strength to pull himself free, but we will never know whose pull is stronger. Ours, or Rodolphus' until this is over."

"Can you not all be strong enough to want him to live?"

"It's not a question of being strong enough to want him to live, Apollo. We're all definitely strong enough for that. The true matter is whose love will be stronger. His love for us, his family, or his love for Rodolphus. Right now, I'm sorry to say his love for and OF Rodolphus is winning."

"Don't believe for one moment," Severus finally spoke up into the discussion going on, "that we're giving up, because we aren't. THAT will NEVER be an option for any of us. We will fight to keep him with us come hell and high water. We will not let him go until the moment he leaves us."

"So it's just a matter of waiting."

"Yes, Jacob, it's a matter of waiting."

cccVccc

They landed, and before anyone had even realized that he had moved, Roark was out of his restraints, on his feet and running for the opening hatch. "Roark! Wait for--"

"We have him, Uncle Apollo," Harry said as he quickly followed Roark out the shuttle hatch and down the ramp.

Adama and Apollo were the last ones to leave the shuttle, saw Harry and the Durins all a=standing around a very still, nearly white Roark. His head was up, his eyes closed, head tilting as if he were listening for something...anything. They waited tensely...waited...waited, until finally, "The Academy," he breathed. "I've got Chris, and he says that they're in the shelters under the Academy. I can't reach Rodolphus, nor Harry Rabastan, because they're both unconscious, but they're alive. So is Papa, but he too is unconscious."

The relief of his words nearly had them all collapsing where they stood, but Roark, as the oldest Durin present immediately took charge of them. "Right then. Jordan, take a team and go check Ravenwood. It sounds like a couple of those messages may have gotten through to them, giving them just enough time to get into the shelters. I'll take a second team and head into Caprica City, to the Academy. Jacob?"

"Apollo and I will take a third team up the Hill, see what has happened to our place, then we'll move out from there. Let's all be very careful, keep our senses active as there may yet be Cylons about. Let's keep our coms open at all times."

"We've got that covered," Roark said as he passed around ear pieces to all the warriors not in the black and scarlet of Counter-Intelligence, as they themselves were already wearing there's. "Counter-Intelligence Communication Devices. Wireless. This way we can keep in contact and be com silent so that the Cylons can't pick up our locations."

"Neat," said one of the warriors that had landed a viper not to far from the two shuttles, taking the ear piece he was handed and putting it in his ear. "Commander? Lt. Commander?" he asked Adama and Roark.

"Let's get moving. We don't know how much time we're going to have so let's find as many survivors as we can. Once you have a group, take them to the spaceports, tell them to use any ship they can find and will fly."

"Also let's collect any food, water, medical supplies and clothing that can be salvaged, but DO NOT eat OR drink anything not from your packs. Anything that wasn't heavily shielded is likely to contain some radiation, or worse. We'll test all the food and water once we're in a safer location. We have plenty of water purification tablets, but if you can get ahold of more, do so." Sebastien looked around at the group standing around them. "Also, put your weapons to stun. These people are going to be angry, scared. Protect yourselves as needed and let Counter-Intelligence deal with the consequences. Clear?"

"Yes, Sir," Came the calls.

"Right then. Robin, love, you and your team go with Adama. Severus, you take your team and go with Jordan, I'll take mine and go with Roark. Sev, as soon as I know about Dacian, I'll let you know. The kids are probably in the shelter at Ravenwood."

"Gods, I hope so," he breathed, the thought of losing his husband, as well as his children making him feel sick.

"Let's move."

A/N WOW!! Two chapters in one day! I hope you all enjoy. Let me know what you think, even if it's only a few words.

Acaciarose 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teams make their way into the destroyed Capitol of Caprica, viewing untold horror. Roark, while responding is falling deeper into emotional collapse, though he manages to hide it, or so he thinks.

They reached Ravenwood Estate, stopping when they saw that half of the main house had collapsed, most of the outer homes were completely destroyed. Deep furrows in what used to be an immaculate lawn, showed where laser fire had had hit.

"Let's hope they made it into the shelters," Jordan said quietly, glancing at a still very pale Roark. "We'll let you know as soon as we get to them."

There were nods all around as Jordan and his team moved away toward the partially destroyed house. They began to move again, heading carefully down the laser and bomb marked road. Roark froze suddenly, making everyone with him stop as well as a deep indrawn breath was heard. Following his distraught gaze, they saw the house he and Harry had bought with their husbands now lying in ruin, a fire still burning.

Harry stepped closer to his brother, lifting a hand to lay it on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Rory?" came softly.

"I'm...alright, Harry," he said softly, tears in his eyes as he looked at the house the four of them had worked so hard on.

"You're not alright, but I'll let it go for now." He turned to look st the house. "Looks like the laser went right through the middle of the house."

Roark nodded. "You know, I knew we wouldn't be living there any longer with Dolph and Bas, but still..." he shook his head, turned away from the destruction of their home and started to walk. "As for the rest...the Beta blocker is helping to blunt the worst of it, though admittedly there is still quite a lot getting through. They're so angry, Harry. Some are furious that we weren't here to protect them when the attacks began. There are still others that are reminding those speaking out so angrily against us that we were too far away to have done anything to help anyway. There is despair, pain, sorrow, death," a shudder racked him, "and so much more."

"What has Chris said about those in the shelter with him?" Sebastien suddenly asked, glancing over at Severus, to see he too was watching Roark with worried eyes.

"I haven't asked," came his soft answer.

"Then do so, please. We need to know how many are in the shelters, and what their status is."

Roark nodded. : Chris? : he sent as they continued their walk toward the City.

: I'm here, little brother, : came his immediate response.

: What's your status? The status of those with you? We also need to know how many are in the shelters. :

: There's twenty-five of us in here, including Dad, Uncle Thorin, Raph and Schyler, : he answered. "Dacian and Gabe are in shelter three with Admiral Jenkins and approximately twenty-six others. It's about the same for the other ten shelters. Both say they're hurt, but they keep telling me it's not bad and that I should stop worrying about them. : A mental shrug followed those words. : But you know how they are about telling us the truth about whatever injuries they may have. :

: I do, : he said with a soft chuckle. Roark turned his head. "He says there are twenty-five in the shelter with him, including Papa, Uncle Thorin, Raph and Schy. Dacian and Gabe are in shelter three with Admiral Jenkins and about twenty-six others. Both have said they're hurt, but they keep telling Chris it's not bad. :

Severus gave a snort the same time Sebastien did. "Which means the fool could be bleeding to death for all he'd tell Chris," he said, his tone holding some relief. "He's not answering me, so he doesn't want me to know how bad it may be. He knows as soon as the connection opens between us, I'd know his status in a micron. Idiot. Wait until we get him out of there. He'll be getting the sharp edge of my tongue."

Soft laughter. "Rory, ask Chris what his, Rodolphus' and Rabastan's conditions are, and he had better tell us the truth of I'll kick his ass."

Roark gave a nod, his nerves tingling with intense worry, as beside him, Harry tensed. : Chris, Sebastien and Severus want to know yours, Rodolphus' and Rabastan's conditions? Be advised, if you lie to me, Sebastien said he'll kick your ass, and then there's what Severus will do to you once he's done. :

Christopher's mental laughter came through the link. : Of course he will. I've got a deep gash on my left leg, a broken right arm and shattered wrist, probably a few broken ribs as well, and a concussion. My ears are still ringing like crazy. Dolph, Bas and I were outside when one of those damn bombs the Cylons dropped hit the far west side of the main complex. Rodolphus, near as I can tell has some broken ribs, a possible broken leg, a broken left arm, and a nasty concussion. Rabastan has broken both his arms, his right shoulder, and a few ribs, and he too has a concussion. Dad's awake. He and Uncle Thorin are demanding rather insistently to know what the situation is. :

: It's bad, Chris. REALLY bad. Total annihilation. Besides the Galactica, the Solaria and the Acropolis are the only to surviving Battlestars, and the Acropolis reports she's been badly damaged. We know the few warriors that have survived are aboard her, but we haven't received a full report because her communication panel is badly damaged, they're having a hard time remaining in contact. Hold on, Chris, we've just reached the outskirts of the City. :

They climbed t he last hill, and one and all froze as they stood looking down in horror at the true devastation that the screens aboard the Galactica and Solaria could never give them. :Is it REALLY that bad? : came the soft question when the feelings of what his brother and the others were feeling filtered down the link to him.

: Worse. There is nothing left standing, Chris, : came softly as his silver eyes swept the ruins of the Capitol City. : There's dead, dying and badly injured all over the place. Hold tight, brother. We'll get to you as soon as we can. We're going to do what we can out here first. :

: Understood, : a pause, then, : Dad and Uncle Thorin said we're fine here for now. We have food, water, a few medical supplies. DO what you can for the survivors out there, then come for us. As soon as Rodolphus and Rabastan wake, I'll let you know. Uncle wants to know if you've any word on Fili and Kili? :

: Tell him sorry, but no, we just don't know. As I said, the Acropolis is badly damaged and she's moving slowly with communication sporadic at best. Colonel Tigh has standing orders to let us know as soon as he hears anything, and he'll let us know when she arrives, and to give us a full report. You can tell them that, of the family we know of so far, we've lost Greyson, Lucian, Alysia, Christian, Kalista and Acadia. :

: Damn, : came softly. : I'll tell them. :

Once he broke the connection, Rory turned to look first at Harry. "Chris says Rabastan has two broken arms, his right shoulder is broken, and a few ribs. He also has a concussion. He also said that as soon as he and Dolph wake, he'll let me know," he told him, smiling briefly at the relief that flared in his brother's eyes.

"Thank you, little brother," he said with a hug. "That's a load of my mind. Dolph?"

"Broken left arm, possible broken leg and several ribs, and a nasty concussion."

"What about the Chris, Rory?" Sebastien asked as they began to work their way into the City, listening when his youngest brother told him about what had been told him, nodding once he had finished. 

"Chris said he has a deep gash on his leg, broken arm, shattered wrist, and a concussion. He says his r=ears are ringing. He didn't say anything about anyone else, so I assume they're fine."

"Never assume anything, Roark," Severus said a little sharply. "Ask."

"Yes, Sir, Healer Lt. Colonel, Sir," he said, giving him a sharp salute in reply, a slight grin twisting his lips.

"Imp," Severus said, giving him a swat across the back of the head. He stopped, bending to check several bodies they had come too, shaking his head as he got to his feet.

: Chris, our Docs want to know if everyone else with you are fine? :

: Everyone is fine baring a few too many bruises, and contusions. Dad has wrenched his back rather badly, and likely has a concussion. Who's checking on Ravenwood? :

: Jordan took a team there as we passed what was left, and Grandfather took another team up the hill toward his place. :

: Tell your Grandfather Ila wasn't in the house. Uncle Bilbo went up to get her and bring her down to our shelters just before the first wave came in with laser fire and bombs. :

A deep sigh sounded, making those closest to him look at him. : Thanks for letting me know that, Chris. Grandfather is probably frantic by now. : He lifted his hand, pressing a small button on his ear piece. "Grandfather?"

A pause. "I'm here. The house has been destroyed. Your Grandmother--"

"Wasn't there and is safe. Uncle Bilbo went up to get her just before the first wave came in. She's in the Estate shelters."

"Thank all the Gods," came his sigh of relief. "Where are you now, Rory?"

"Making our way through the City. We've just reached Presidium Square, in fact, and are checking on those we come across as we make our way to the Academy. The City is completely destroyed, and we've not found many that are still alive. What about you?"

"A few survivors just confronted us here, but no one was hurt. We're heading back down the hill to meet up with Jordan. We'll take the survivors we have to the Spaceport then meet up with you."

"Copy that. Has there been any word from Colonel Tigh? Uncle Thorin is asking about Fili and Kili?"

"Nothing as of yet."

"Understood. I'll let Chris know. See you soon."

He ended the communication as he stopped suddenly to lean heavily against the twisted metal and marble that had once been once of Caprica Tower, the city's main communication tower. "GODS!!" he cried out suddenly as all around them small fires began to spring up, the tears he had been fighting against for so long, falling. "I can't DO THIS!!" he cried, his eyes closing so that he no longer had to see what was around him.

Arms came around him, drawing him up and against the strong, hard body. Feeling the bandage beneath the uniform shirt his cheek now lay against, he knew it was Roark that held him. "Roark, I just can't."

"Sh...hh," he murmured in his ear as his head bent, hands stroking his back. "Come on, get control of yourself. I know this is very hard on you," he went on, hugging him tightly. "The Gods know those of you with strong empathy have got to be going through HELL right now. There are people who need us, Rory, people trapped in shelters under collapsed buildings, and sooner rather than later, the Cylons are going to be back. We HAVE to keep going, keep it together long enough to get what is left of our people out of here and to at least a semi safe place. Once we have done that, we can fall apart, we can mourn what we have lost."

Roark leaned into a moment, getting himself, though it as very hard as he was quickly spiraling out of control, his emotions all over the place, his empathy picking up on so much...A sharp prick of a needle going into his neck, the feel of liquid entering the vein, made him raise his head, turn it to see a weary, worried Sebastien.

"Another Beta. We're not giving you an Alpha unless it becomes obvious you cannot control yourself. It would shut you down completely." Severus spoke up, a hand coming up to sift fingers through his dark hair. "Better?"

Roark felt just a little steadier and drew himself away from his cousin. "A bit," he murmured. "But I--"

"We know," Sebastien said softly, "just hang on a little longer for us."

Roark nodded, lifting a hand to wipe away the tears on his cheeks. "Thanks, Roark," he said softly, looking up into his cousin's grim blue eyes.

"Giving him a small smile, he leaned forward to brush a kiss to his forehead. "Let's get to the Academy. Tikkons?"

"Sir?" the man in question stepped forward.

"I'm taking Rory, Harry, Sebastien, Ethan, Severus and Rohan on to the Academy. You and the rest of the team stay here, do a sweep of the city, check the wounded--"

"Send the worst of the wounded to the Galactica or the Solaria," Sebastien interrupted.

"Right. Send everyone that is mobile to the Spaceports."

"We'll see to it, Lt. Commander. Good luck, Sir," he said with a salute.

"To you too, Tikkons. I think we're all going to need whatever luck we have left to get through this horror."

"Agree with you there, Sir," he said, watching them for a long few centons as they moved away. He turned back to the warriors he still had with him, saying grimly. "Let's get to work, boys."

A/N Well, there we go. Hope you enjoy this chapter, though there were quite a few changes from the original written chapter.

Please let me know what you think by leaving a few word of review, as I would really like to know what you all think, and I still have no idea. No one need worry that I will stop posting this story should a few bad words be written. I started this to get my story out and I will continue to write and post it. 

Acaciarose


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the Life Center aboard the Galactica.

Roark entered the Life Center aboard the Galactica a few centars later, seeing Sebastien's medical personal making slow progress on all the injured. As he began to weave his way through the room, many looked up to smile at him, speak to him, to which he merely nodded, wanting only to get to the closed off section at the back of the huge room. Suddenly, a scream broke out and Roark turned to see a child, a little girl with long blond ringlets, tangled, dirty, bloodied, crying out for he mommy and daddy.

Unable to help himself, Roark found himself moving to where the little girl was thrashing to be free of the two nurses that held her in place while a tech worked to fix her broken arm. Reaching out, he lay his hand on the arm of the nurse closest to him, drawing her frowning attention.

"Let her go," he said quietly.

"I can't do that, Captain Roark. She has several--"

"I'm well aware of that as I can feel the pain she is in. Something to ease it would not be amiss. She's also very scared, and doesn't understand why you are holding like this. Now please, let her go." As soon as the nurse released her hold on the little girl, Roark moved in, "Hello, sweetheart," he said quietly, gently. "My name is Rory. What is your name?"

"Tat..."she began on a half sob, "Tatiana. You...you have pretty eyes."

"Thank you, Tatiana. You have a very pretty name. How old are you, Tatiana?" he asked as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch the other nurses hand without even looking at her.

"I'm almost eight." She sniffled, her bright blue eyes full of tears as she looked up at him. "I want my mommy and Daddy," she whimpered. "We got separated at the Spaceport. So many people pushing and shoving. I could hear them screaming for me, but this warrior caught me up and took me to a shuttle. I tried to tell him my mommy and daddy were calling for me, but he wouldn't listen. Said he was under orders to make sure all children were put into a shuttle and sent up to the Galactica."

"I see," he murmured. "Did you happen to notice his rank?" he asked her softly, reaching up to gently smooth back some hair.

She shook her head. "His pins were different from yours."

"I'll see if I can't find them for you."

She was calmer, allowing the Tech manning the machine that fixed most broken bones instantly to work on fixing her arm. "You will? Really?" There was a look of hope in her bright blue eyes. "Are you really a warrior? Your uniform is different from the others I've seen."

"That's because I'm a Counter-Intelligence Officer. Captain Roark Christopher Durin Peverell Potter-Lestrange, at your service, my Lady."

She giggled when he bowed at the waist, hand to his heart. "That's an awful lot of names."

"Isn't it? Well, I think I shall just have shorten it to Lestrange then. That would certainly make my husband happy. So, do you think you can tell me what your parents names might be? So I can see if I can find them for you."

"Daddy called mommy Katy, and mommy called daddy Tony. Our last name is Carstairs."

"Okay. let me go check on my husband and my family, and in the morning I'll see what I can do to find your parents, but you have to promise me you'll let the medical staff help you, and get some sleep."

"I will. Promise?"

"My word as a Counter-Intelligence Officer." He bent then to place a kiss on her fevered brow. "Rest now, Tatiana." He got to his feet, his silver eyes watching the beautiful little girl close her eyes as the second nurse gave her a shot of a mild pain killer. 

"Thank you, Captain Roark," the nurse he had first spoken too said.

"It was no trouble, now if you will excuse me?" he left her, continuing his way toward the back of the ward.

It was as he got closer that he could hear his husband growling rather loudly at someone that he was fine. Stopping just inside the door, his eyes found Rodolphus immediately, standing, almost swaying beside the bed he had been in moments before, Sebastien stood before him, arguing with him that he was in no shape to be on his feet yet. In the bed next to him was Rabastan, he too was arguing, only with Harry that he was perfectly fine as he tried to get out of the bed he was in.

"Rodolphus Corvus Lestrange!" he finally snapped out after letting his eyes sweep the room, looking at each family member that lay in the beds, drawing more than a few of their eyes, including Rabastan's to him. "Your argument, my husband, would be a whole lot more convincing if you were not nearly white of face, and swaying where you stand. You, my love, will stop arguing with Sebastien and get yourself back into that bed. Right, NOW!"

Rodolphus' head had snapped around as soon as Roark had begun to snap out his name, his sherry eyes locking on him, which had indeed caused his face to go white, swaying alarmingly where he stood. A grinning Sebastien caught him as he went to take a step, but his dizziness and nausea caused him to begin falling instead.

"Idiot," Sebastien said as he and Roark, who had surged forward when his husband had begun to go down, helped him back into his bed. "I told you, Dolph. You have a severe concussion, NOT to mention several broken ribs, more than a few badly strained muscles, a just fixed shattered wrist, broken arm and leg. I swear..." he shook his head, looking around the room, "between you, your brother," he looked over at said brother to find he had finally stopped fighting Harry and now lay back in his bed, his eyes closed, his face nearly as white as the sheets. "My brothers and cousins," a sharp glare at Kili, who was, once again, attempting to get out of his own bed. "KILI MATTHEW!" he shouted at him. "Get back in that bed at ONCE, young man! Fuck, I do believe I need to invest in more bed restraints to keep you all where you belong. DAD! Don't you fucking DARE!!" he turned to face him, glaring at his father. "Fuck, I'm surprised you can even MOVE given what your back looks like."

Roark looked around the room, then suddenly he began to laugh. He had too. He just couldn't help it. He laughed, and he laughed, until suddenly he was crying, and crying hard. Several attempted to get out of their beds to get to him, including Rodolphus and Rabastan, only to fail. Harry hurried across the room to his brother to wrap his arms around him, drawing him tight against him, his head lowering to murmur to him. That was when Ethan and Rohan arrived, hurrying across the room toward the two.

"We've got him," Ethan told them, looking sternly around the room, prompting those that were still attempting to get out of their beds to remain where they were, all of them looking worried at Roark. Severus arrived then with a potions vial half full of an amber liquid. "Alpha?"

He nodded. "I think he needs it now," came softly. "It's going to be the only way he can begin to repair his shattered shields."

"Ethan? Severus?"

"It's bad, Dad," Ethan answered, as Severus murmured softly to Roark, getting him to raise his head and drink the potion he held. "Now that he knows all of you are alive and safe, he will hopefully be able to begin to pull himself together, and begin to repai what shattered while standing on the bridge, watching his premonition came true in all it's horrifying detail. Hearing Grey had been killed is probably what started it."

"It was," came his whisper from where he rested in Harry's arms, feeling the Alpha blocker completely shut his gifts down.

"Better now?"

"Not particularly. Time, Harry," he said, pulling himself free of his brothers arms. "All I really need now is time, to be here with Rodolphus, with the family," he looked up at him. "You can go back to Rabastan now. The Alpha blocker is working."

Harry nodded, leaning in to press a kiss to his brow before turning to go back to Rabastan, crawling back into bed with him and carefully settling himself against him, feeling his arms wrap around him, hugging him close, murmuring something into his ear that had him nodding.

"You are all far to stubborn for your own good," he told them.

"You're a fine one to talk, young man," Gabriel growled from where he lay. "Besides, there is far too much that needs to be done to be confined in a bed like this," he said as Robin finished cleaning the cut at his temple and putting a bandage on it."

"As true as that is, Gabe, there is little that you can do if you are all passing out trying to help. Please, brother, for our peace of mind, just stay in bed. If you make me pull CMO rank, none of you will be going anywhere for several days."

Deep frowns and more than a few growls of indignation at his words from all of those currently stuck in their beds. Roark could only shake his head as he looked around the room. "Peace, my beloved family. We have more than enough people to make do until you are all cleared to return to full active duty. Admiral Maxwell, Admiral Jenkins, Grandfather and Colonel Tigh have things well in hand. There are still ships arriving from the Colonies, and it looks like the Cylons are going to give us just enough time to complete what we need to get done, though not intentionally. They've had to return to Cylon to refuel."

"What about the Solaria? And the Acropolis?" Christopher asked from his own bed, a frown curving his brow. "You said both were heavily damaged."

"And so they were," Roark answered as he moved now to the bed Rodolphus lay in, sitting down on the edge. Feeling as if that were not close enough, he then lay down to snuggle carefully against his side, feeling his arm go around him. "Grandfather has already ordered the Galactica's Technical Team to the Solaria, and those of your team that weren't injured have already gone over to the Acropolis."

"Dear sweet GODS, Rory, your're--"

"A mess. I know. I don't have any shields OR walls left to speak of right now. I've lost all ground and my center is gone as well. Everything, as Ethan said, shattered as I stood on the bridge watching first our Star Fleet, then the Colonies being decimated by the Cylons. When I couldn't reach ANY of you that I usually can, I then began to panic, to spiral out of control. There was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it, no matter what I thought, or what I tried to do."

"Which is exactly why you are going to remain where you are for now," Ethan said as several of their brothers, and cousins, including Aiden and Jordan, who had just arrived from the Solaria to give his report on their status, entered the room. "With the Alpha blocker in effect it will enable you to begin to ground and center yourself and raise new walls and shields. That's going to take you some time to do, so until further notice you are officially off duty until I clear you to return. Clear?"

"Umm...not going to argue with you." Roark murmured as he settled his head on Rodolphus' chest, being careful not to put too much pressure on his broken ribs. "I was kind of figuring ONE of you was going to ground me anyway," he grumbled, "and while I may not necessarily like it, or be pleased about it, I DO realize that it is necessary. I am no good to anyone with my gifts so out of control, and I can't keep taking those blockers."

"No, you can't, and no you aren't," Robin said, moving over to them, Severus just behind him carrying a tray. "You are all going to rest and allow yourselves to heal." He picked up a syringe with a light blue liquid in it and quickly gave Roark what he new to be a sedative that would calm and ease him into sleep.

"I made a promise to a little girl named Tatiana Carstairs. She out in the other ward. She was separated from her parents. Their names are Katy and Tony. They'll likely be on one of the Caprican ships. Can one of you--"

"I'll see to it myself, little brother," Colten spoke up.

"We want a list of everyone we've lost," Thorin growled from the bed he was in, Bilbo at his side.

"We're already working on that, Uncle Thorin," Desmond told him, "but it's going to take some time to get it together. Of the family...We've lost Alysia, Lucian, Greyson, Christian, Kalista and Acadia. We've also lost Robin's sisters, Adriane and Olympia. We'll get the official lists to you and Dad as soon as we can."

Thorin opened his mouth, only to have Bilbo swat at his shoulder in irritation. "Enough, husband!" he growled warningly. "Stop fighting that sedative Severus just gave you and rest. Look over at Rory," he glanced over at the bed their nephew and his husband were in to his face now completely buried in Rodolphus' neck, both of them sound asleep. Then he looked over at the bed next to them to see that Harry also had his face pressed close to Rabastan's neck. They too were asleep. "That tells you right there just how exhausted and at the end of his rope that poor boy was, and the rest of you are not much better."

Roark senior, Thorin and the others looked over at the beds the Peverell Potter brothers now shared with their husbands, and they all had to smile. Kili, who had just settled himself against his pillows, a hand resting in his sore ribs after his crash landing on the Acropolis, shook his head slowly. "It was absolutely horrible on the Atlantia, when the whole picture came together for him after Baltar took his hand. Devastating too as we just were not able to circumvent anything that we knew was about to happen."

"You were able to do more than either of you realize, Ki," Roark told his cousin from where he lay in the bed on the other side of Rabastan's. "If Rory hadn't come up with that idea of battle stations drills and then contacted the other Battlestars with his theory..." he shook his head. "None of us would have gotten a single viper off. As it was seven out of eleven DID get vipers off, and it give us a chance to fight, however slim our chances were."

"Roark's right, son," Thorin said, "and if Rory's and Harry's broken messages hadn't reached Rodolphus and Rabastan, or your me, we would never have been able to save as many as we did, or get the warning sirens sounding. In the end, it may have turned into a total massacre, but we have survivor's coming in from all the Colonies, as well as the mining and farming territories. Somehow...someway, we ARE going to survive this."

"And on that note, it is time you all got some rest," Sebastien told them all sternly, looking around the room as he drew a sheet and light blanket up over Rodolphus and Roark. He had to chuckle when they all exaggeratingly settled themselves into their beds, and within several centons, all of them had fallen asleep.

Bilbo gave a deep sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. "Thank the Lords of Kobol," he murmured, his head bowing, eyes slipping closed. "What a GODS awful day."

"Come on, Uncle, up you go," Payton said as he helped his uncle into the bed beside Thorin.

"You and everyone else have had a long, very stressful few centars." Robin said as he came over with a syringe. "Time you got some rest as well. Would you like a sedative?"

"Umm...no, not necessary, Robin," he said as he settled himself down d=beside his husband, feeling himself relax for the first time since those early morning broken messages had reached them. "I have all I need right here."

"Okay. Robin, Severus and I are going to go check on our other patients, then we'll give Adama a report on the injured." He looked around the room once again to see that everyone was asleep, then he looked at his husband and Severus. "After that, a few centars of rest wouldn't be amiss for us as well."

"Agreed."

END OF PART THREE

A/N And here we go, the end of Part three. I have started Part four, but posting are going to be slower as I've not much done on it yet. Hope you all liked this. Please leave me a few words of review so I know how you feel.

Acaciarose 


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